About Patterns

This topic provides information about patterns.

This page discusses:

See Also
Creating Complex Patterns
About Optimizing Part Design Performance
Copy/Paste Patterns
Creating Power Copies

About Patterning the Features

Patterns let you duplicate the whole geometry of one or more features and position this geometry on a 3D shape at the location of your choice.

The patterning function provides following three different capabilities for patterning the features:

About Patterning the Current Solids

A current solid is composed of one or more features belonging to the same body. It is the result of the operations as mentioned in the tree, the last operation being the current one. For more information about current solids, see Generative Shape Design User's Guide: Using Tools: Scanning a 3D Shape and Defining in Work Objects.

  • By default, the object to pattern is the current solid.
  • You can select multiple features using the object bag . To do so, select the required features in the Object box.
  • You can also create a pattern using the Robot. For more information, see Creating Patterns.
  • The instances created via Pattern are composed of pads and holes only.

Important:
  • When you pattern only multi-pads or multi-pockets, the entire current solid is transformed.
  • You can pattern multi-pads or multi-pockets, without patterning the entire current solid, in combination with any feature that can be patterned (pad, pocket, shaft, hole, etc.). For that, you need to first select the any feature that can be patterned in the object bag , existing in the same body, and then select multi-pads or multi pockets. In this case, the warning message appears informing you that the pattern operation may produce wrong results. You can click Yes to accept the results.
  • You can transform a patterned list of features into a patterned current solid and vice-versa. However, this is possible only at the time of creating the pattern features.

About Patterning the Bodies

Patterning is carried out without taking into account the polarity of the body. However, if you insert the pattern obtained in another body, the polarity of that body is taken into account. Due to this, sometimes patterned bodies are not visible if they are inserted in negative bodies.

If the user pattern points to a positive body, the pattern is visible in the 3D area because the result is added to existing geometry.

If the body is changed to a negative body (say, the Add feature is changed to a Remove feature), the user pattern is no longer visible because the result is subtracted from existing geometry.

About Editing a List of Features

Editing a list of features consists of creating, adding, removing, or replacing features from the list. You can select the object bag and perform these editions.

  • Adding objects: You can add:
    • Single object: You can directly select the object from the tree.
    • New object: You can create Part Design features, such as pads, pockets, shafts, grooves, and holes, on the fly while creating a pattern.
    • Multiple objects or a list of objects: You can preselect the objects prior to selecting Rectangular Pattern or Circular Pattern . You can also select the object bag and select the objects from the tree to add to Object to Pattern list.
  • Replacing objects: You can replace an object in the following cases:
    • If Object to Pattern has a single object: You can directly replace the object by selecting new object from the tree.
    • If Object to Pattern has a multiple objects or a list of objects: You can select the object bag to open the Object to Pattern dialog box. Select the object that needs replacing. You can then click Replace and select a new feature as the object to pattern from the tree. If multiple objects need replacing, you can replace them one after the other.
  • Removing objects: You can remove one or more objects from a list of objects. You can select the object to pattern bag to open the Object to Pattern dialog box. You can select one or more objects using Ctrl key. Click Remove to remove all the selected objects from the list.
    • If you remove all the features from the list, Current Solid appears in the Object box.
    • If you remove the objects from the list such that only features such as fillet, chamfer, or other contextual features are left, a warning message appears. This warning message indicates that the pattern operation cannot be carried out on this contextual feature. In such cases the operation is carried out on the Current Solid.
    Notes:
    • You can clear or select the Keep Specifications option while creating pattern for a single feature or for a list of features. The Keep specifications option is unavailable only when the object to pattern is Current Solid, user defined features, and dump solids.
    • All the above editions can be also carried out on the pattern feature itself. That is, it is possible to edit the pattern feature once created.

About Removing the Instances

  • You can delete the unwanted instances while creating the pattern. In the pattern preview, select the points used to create instances.
  • You can click an instance once to remove the instance from the specifications. Then, clicking again or double-clicking an instance does not lead to the same result.

  • You can select the desired number of instances of pattern through trap selection and activate/de-activate them. For more information about the trap selection, see 3DEXPERIENCE Native Apps User's Guide: Native Apps Basics: Selecting Objects: Selecting Using the Selection Traps.

    The Activate and De-activate options are displayed at the location where pointer is released.

    You can click De-activate to remove the selected instances and Activate to keep them.

About Focusing on the Instances

You can rework on the specific instances while designing. To do so, use the Explode contextual command to delete your pattern while keeping geometry. For more information, see Exploding Patterns.