About Patterning

This section provides information about patterning.

• Patterns should not go beyond the model.
• A cutout located on an edge cannot be duplicated inside a wall.
  
  
• If you create a pattern of a stamp impacting several supports, you can no longer design any other feature on it.
• You can also specify the instances you do not want to see by double-clicking them. These instances are then represented in dashed lines during the pattern definition and then are no longer visible after validating the pattern creation. The specifications remain unchanged, whatever the number of instances you view. This option is particularly useful for patterns with a large number of instances.

This section provides information about patterning in the Sheet Metal Design app.

• When you duplicate a pattern of a flange, the edge of the flange spine and its instances must be tangent to the wall on edge. You cannot choose a direction of patterning not parallel to the flange spine.
• All instances of the flange pattern must lie on the same face as the flange pattern.

This section provides information about axial reference parameters.

You can choose the Parameters type in the Axial Reference tab of the Circular Pattern Definition dialog box.

• Instance(s) & total angle: The number of patterns specified in the Instances box is created, in the specified direction, and they are evenly spread out over the Total angle.
  
  
• Instance(s) & angular spacing: The number of patterns specified in the Instance(s) box is created in the specified direction, and the patterns are separated from each others by the angular angle value.
  
  
• Angular spacing & total angle: As many patterns as possible are created over the Total angle, each pattern is separated from the previous/next one by the angular angle value.
  
  
• Complete crown: The number of patterns specified in the Instance(s) box is created over a complete circle (360deg).
  
  

Important: If you select Instance(s) & total angle or Angular spacing & total angle, you cannot define the length using formulas.

This section provides information about crown definition parameters.

The below figure shows you how to define parameters.

• Circle(s) and crown thickness: Sets the number of circles and they are spaced out evenly over the specified crown thickness.
• Circle(s) and circle spacing: Sets the number of circles and the distance between each circle, the crown thickness being computed automatically.
• Circle spacing and crown thickness: Sets the distance between each circle and the crown thickness, and the number of circles is automatically computed.

This section provides information about the position of objects when creating a circular pattern.

When selecting the Radial alignment of instance(s), all instances have the same orientation as the original feature. When cleared, all instances are normal to the lines tangent to the circle.

Warning: If you use the circular cutout as a reference element, the axial reference of the pattern will be the same as the rotation axis of the circular cutout. As a result, when the cutout is duplicated, the first crown instances will be superimposed on one another. To avoid this, clear the Radial alignment of instance(s) option so that the instances are properly positioned around the cutout.