Parameter called allow_import in fields of type <blockdata>allows to add the 'Import/export materials' item in the contextual menu for a specific 'blockdata' field.
A material is composed by a set of material properties, which can be applied to geometry entities. Import/export tool allows to handle material properties easily. This tool is located inside the right mouse menu when a particular material or a materials collection is selected in the data tree and allow_import parameter is activated.

In order to activate the Import/export materials tool, it is necessary to call n="materials" to the global container in the spd-file. Moreover, although the intermediate containers could be defined using any attribute n, each final material blockdata has to be called n="material".

The "Import/export materials" window contains two different material data trees. At the left side there is the local materials list associated to the current model. At the right side there is a material data tree list, which could be imported or exported depending on the user interests.

It is possible to import/export materials in four different ways:

Global database active
Global database inactive
Import from a file
Export to a file.

The global database active is the database shown in the data tree located at the left side of the GiD window when a new model is created.
The global database inactive is an internal database which does not affect the default data tree for new models. It could be used to store odd materials in order to import them for a particular model.

The global database active also allows to import the original default materials clicking on the button located just at the right side of the "Import/export to" combo-box, which facilitates to recover easily the original input data for materials.
It is also possible to import or export selected materials from particular XML-files without modifying the global database.
It should be noted that the creation of new materials can be done directly using the right mouse menu in the import/export materials window.

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