Parts and Features Contents Parts The 3D part is the basic building block of the SOLIDWORKS mechanical design software. Materials Use the Material dialog box to create and edit custom materials or libraries, to apply materials, or to establish material favorites. Materials encapsulate the physical characteristics of a part or part body. SOLIDWORKS provides a library of pre-defined materials that are shared with SOLIDWORKS Simulation. Graphics Mesh and Mesh BREP Bodies Multibody Parts Controlling Parts Display States in Parts A part's display settings are stored in display states in the part. Features Features are the individual shapes that, when combined, make up the part. You can also add some types of features to assemblies. Reference Geometry Reference geometry defines the shape or form of a surface or a solid. Reference geometry includes items such as planes, axes, coordinate systems, and points.