Creating Materials

A small library of common materials is included in Inspire, but you can also create your own materials.

New materials are saved locally in the C:\Users\<user>\Documents\Altair directory.
A material is defined by four or five parameters that characterize basic linear properties:
  • Elastic modulus, E (also known as Young's modulus)
  • Poisson's ratio, Nu
  • Density
  • Yield Stress
  • Coefficient of thermal expansion (only used when temperatures have been added to a load case)

If you wish to create new materials, these properties are easy to find in most material handbooks or from websites that list the properties of materials.

  1. Click the Materials icon on the Structure or Fluids ribbon.

  2. Click the My Materials tab at the top of the table.


  3. Click the Create Material + icon. A new material is added at the bottom of the table.
  4. Rename the material by clicking in the Material field twice to make it editable.
  5. Select a cell to define the material's E, Nu, Density, and Yield Stress.
  6. Define a Coefficient of Thermal Expansion if your model includes temperatures.
  7. To assign this new material to a part in your model, click the Parts tab.
  8. Click a material name to the right of a part in the table and choose a material from the list.