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Material Classes

Material classes are hierarchical categories used to organize materials. They follow the ISA-88 classification model, allowing you to build a tree structure of arbitrary depth -- from broad categories down to specific sub-types.

Material classes page

Class hierarchy​

Classes support parent-child relationships. A class with children is displayed as a clickable link in the grid -- click the name to drill down into its sub-classes. A breadcrumb trail at the top of the grid lets you navigate back up the hierarchy.

Example hierarchy:

Raw Materials
  Chemicals
    Solvents
    Acids
  Natural Ingredients
    Grains
    Liquids
Finished Goods
  Beverages
  Packaged Food
Packaging
  Bottles
  Cartons
tip

When you search by text, the grid switches to a flat view showing all matching classes regardless of hierarchy level. Clear the search to return to the hierarchical view.

Data grid columns​

ColumnCompactFullDescription
IconYesYesAvatar with the class icon and color
NameYesYesClass name; clickable link if it has children
CodeYesYesUnique short code displayed as a chip
StatusYesYesActive (green) or Inactive (grey) chip
DescriptionNoYesOptional description text
ColorNoYesColor swatch circle
CreatedNoYesCreation date
UpdatedNoYesLast modification date
ActionsYesYesAdd child, edit, deactivate, delete, reactivate

Creating a Material Class​

  1. Click the Add button in the toolbar
  2. Fill in the form fields:
FieldRequiredDescription
NameYesDisplay name of the class
CodeYesUnique short identifier (max 50 characters)
DescriptionNoOptional details
ParentNoSelect an existing class to make this a sub-category
IconNoChoose from 10 predefined icons (package, cube, flask, grain, water, molecule, leaf, tool, cog, packaging)
ColorNoPick from 15 predefined colors for visual distinction
ActiveNoEnabled by default
  1. Click Create

Create material class dialog

Adding a Child Class​

There are two ways to create a sub-class:

  • From the toolbar: click Add -- the parent is pre-set to the current level you are viewing
  • From a row: click the add child button (green plus icon) on any row -- the parent is pre-set to that specific class

Both methods open the same dialog with the parent field pre-filled.

Editing a Material Class​

Click the edit button (blue pencil icon) on any row. The dialog opens with all current values pre-populated. You can change any field, including re-assigning the parent to restructure the hierarchy.

info

When you change a class's parent, all materials assigned to that class remain associated with it. Only the class's position in the hierarchy changes.

Deactivating vs. Deleting​

ActionWhat happensReversible?
DeactivateHides the class from active views and from the material creation dropdown. Materials already assigned keep their class reference.Yes
DeletePermanently removes the class.No
info

Deletion is blocked if the class still has materials or child classes referencing it. Reassign or delete those references first, or deactivate the class instead.

Reactivating a Class​

  1. Enable the Show Inactive switch
  2. Find the deactivated class (shown with reduced opacity)
  3. Click the reactivate button (green checkmark icon)

Icons and Colors​

Each material class can have a custom icon and color. These are displayed in the class grid and as material avatars in the Material List.

Available icons:

IconLabel
Package (closed)Default icon for new classes
CubeGeneric item
Cog/ProcessProcess materials
Package (open)Packaging
FlaskChemicals
GrainGranular materials
WaterLiquids
MoleculeMolecular/compound materials
LeafOrganic materials
ToolboxTools and parts

Colors are selected from a palette of 15 predefined options, ranging from blues and greens to reds and browns.

Searching and Filtering​

Text search​

Type in the search field to filter classes by name, code, or description. When a search is active, the hierarchical view is temporarily replaced with a flat list of all matching results.

Show inactive​

Toggle the Show Inactive switch to include deactivated classes in the grid.

Column Visibility​

Use the column toggle icon to switch between compact view (hides description, color, dates) and full view (shows all columns except ID).

Clear Filters​

Click the filter off icon to reset all filters, search text, and column visibility to defaults.

Best Practices​

tip
  • Keep codes consistent -- use a naming convention like RAW, FIN, PKG for top-level classes and RAW-CHEM, RAW-NAT for sub-classes
  • Limit hierarchy depth to 3-4 levels for usability
  • Use colors to visually distinguish top-level categories at a glance
  • Deactivate rather than delete classes that are no longer needed -- this preserves historical data integrity

Prerequisites​

Next steps​