Use the nodes under Materials () to add predefined or user-defined materials, including layered materials and porous materials, to specify material properties using model inputs, functions, values, and expressions as needed, or to create a custom material library. Also see Material Link, Switch for Materials, Working with External Materials, About the Material Libraries, Layered Material, Layered Material Link, Layered Material Stack, Single Layer Materials, Porous Material, and Topology Link.

You can right-click the Materials node and select Add Material from Library to add a material using The Add Material Window or select Browse Materials to open The Material Browser Window for more thorough information about the available materials in the material libraries. You can also select Blank Material to add a Material node with no predefined material properties.

This section provides an overview of the materials in the Component node and where they are used. You can also add materials under Global Definitions. To access such global materials in a model component, use a Material Link.

The Material column lists the current materials in the Component using the materials’ node labels from the model tree according to the settings defined in Displaying Node Names, Tags, and Types in the Model Builder.

The Selection column lists the geometric entities selected for the material (the domains, boundaries, or edges where the material is defined).

If a material property in a physics interface takes its value from a material and no material is defined for the same geometric selection, a stop sign () displays in the leftmost column and the Material column contains Entities needing a material. The Selection column contains the geometric entities in which a material definition is missing. The Materials node also indicates when there is a material error (see Figure 9-5). For example, if some property is deleted but needed in a part of the geometry, then the icon indicates where the error is located.