The preferred method to update the database is from the Material dialog box in SOLIDWORKS.
-
With a part open, in the FeatureManager design tree, right-click Material
and select Edit Material.
- In the Material dialog box, in the left pane, click Sustainability Extras.
The Properties tab in the right pane shows the latest version of the GaBi Sustainability Database and when you last checked for updates.
- Click Check for Updates.
The Check for Updates dialog box tells you whether an update to the database is available.
- If an update is available, click Update.
- When the download is complete, click OK.
The database version is updated and the added materials are listed under Sustainability Extras.

You can edit the material as you would any other material. If you make changes, they are preserved when you update the database again.
When you use Sustainability, the materials you have added appear in the following places:
When you select a material for a part |
The Class drop-down list identifies the added material class with a Sustainability Extras prefix. |
In theFind Similar Material dialog box |
When you select -any- as a Material Class, the results that match the specified criteria include materials from the Sustainability Extras folder. |