This dialog is used to search the selected database based on one or more specified search criteria.
To access this dialog to search for a particular material, click 
(), then click Search.
For example, you could search for all plastic materials whose family abbreviation includes TP, or whose melt-mass flow rate is in the range 10 g/10 min–15 g/10 min. After creating a criteria, you can also save it, and open that and any other saved criteria into other projects.
- ().
- A number of options from the Boundary Conditions tab.
- The database-related entries in the Tools tab.
Dialog elements
- Search Criteria:
- Displays the Search Criteria you are using.
A Search Criteria consists of a set of search parameters you have defined and saved. In order to use a Search Criteria, you need to create one and then load it.
A search criteria of "<none>" indicates you are not using a search criteria.
- Load Search Criteria...
- Allows you to load Search Criteria.
Any saved Search Criteria are added to the Load Search Criteria list, and can be used in any projects.
When the Load Search Criteria dialog opens, select a Search Criteria from the drop-down list and then click Load.
- Save Search Criteria As...
- Allows you to save Search Criteria along with a set of defined search parameters.
Once saved, the Search Criteria can be used in any project.
When the Save Search Criteria dialog opens, type a name and then click the Save button. Any saved Search Criteria are stored and added to a list in the Load Search Criteria dialog.
- Delete Search Criteria
- Allows you to delete the selected Search Criteria from the Load Search Criteria list.
Once deleted, it is permanently removed and is no longer available in any project.
- Reset To Default Search Criteria
- Allows you to reset to the default values in the Search Criteria fields.
Any changes made to the Search Criteria that have not been saved will be lost.
- Selected Search Fields
- Lists the fields that may be used as criteria when searching the database.
- Search Field Parameters
- Text or numeric values that define limits for Search Criteria.
For example, if you select Family Abbreviation as your search criteria, and you type TP as the value of the filter, then the search mechanism will find materials with the following Family Abbreviations, among others: TPE, TPO, TPU, TPR.
- Substring
- Allows you to specify the text characters you want to search for.
For example, if you select Family Abbreviation as your search criteria, and you type TP as the substring, then the search mechanism will find materials with the following Family Abbreviations, among others: TPE, TPO, TPU, TPR.
Enter text in the substring box.
- Minimum
- Allows you to specify the minimum numeric value you want to search for.
For example, if you select Melt mass-flow rate as your search field, and you type 10 as the minimum filter value, then the search mechanism will find materials with a melt mass-flow rate greater than or equal to 10.
Enter a numeric value in the Minimum box.
- Maximum
- Allows you to specify the maximum numeric value you want to search for.
For example, if you select Melt mass-flow rate as your search field, and you type 15 as the maximum filter value, then the search mechanism will find materials with a melt mass-flow rate less than or equal to 15.
Enter a numeric value in the Maximum box.
- Remove
- Allows you to remove a field from the Search Field list.
In the Search Fields list, select the field you want to remove and then click Remove.
- Clear filters
- Allows you to clear the filters from all Search Fields.
Filters are text or numeric values that define the limits of the search criteria.
Tip: To clear filters from a specific Search Field, select the Search Field and then press Backspace . - Add
- Allows you to add the selected field(s) to the Search Field list.
Click Add and select the field(s) you want to add.
Tip: You may select multiple fields by holding down the Ctrl key as you are selecting. - Search
- Allows you to search the database for documents that match the Search Criteria specified.