Multiple Materials with the same name

[PitMan71]

I have noticed in X17 that my .plans have multiple materials with the same name. Anybody else notice this? It's kinda irritating since the where the materials meet there is a line formed in plot views. I don't remember having these issues in X16.

[Chrisb222]

1 hour ago, PitMan71 said:

Anybody else notice this?

 

Yeah it's normal. Somewhere along the line a material was used in a way that caused the program to create an additional copy. You can merge the multiples in Plan Materials, but it maps anything using that material to the first one in the list. Sometimes I go in and clean it up but, I mostly ignore it unless it causes issues like you described, then it needs fixed.

 

 

From Help:

 

• Click the Merge button to merge multiple selected materials into one. The material that is listed first is retained and all other materials in the selection set are deleted. Any instances of the deleted materials in the plan are replaced by the first material. Only available when multiple materials are selected.

[PitMan71]

31 minutes ago, Chrisb222 said:

 

Yeah it's normal. Somewhere along the line a material was used in a way that caused the program to create an additional copy. You can merge the multiples in Plan Materials, but it maps anything using that material to the first one in the list. Sometimes I go in and clean it up but, I mostly ignore it unless it causes issues like you described, then it needs fixed.

 

 

From Help:

 

 

• Click the Merge button to merge multiple selected materials into one. The material that is listed first is retained and all other materials in the selection set are deleted. Any instances of the deleted materials in the plan are replaced by the first material. Only available when multiple materials are selected.

Thanks for the tip!

[DBCooper]

I think you will get a copy of a material if you have a plan with an old version of the material and then use a newer version from the library.  They update the libraries all the time and if they change any setting, then you can get two different materials with the same name.  Merging them like Chris suggested is probably the best way to get rid of them.

 

 

Edited March 12 by DBCooper