Creating Rectangular Patterns

You can create a rectangular pattern of an object. You can create multiple instances of a feature. You can also create staggered patterns and patterns with equal instances in both directions.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: Create a feature.
See Also
About the Rectangular Pattern
Creating Complex Patterns
Patterning User Defined Features (UDFs)
Exploding Patterns
About Optimizing Part Design Performance

Create a Rectangular Pattern

You can create a rectangular pattern by duplicating a feature and maintaining equal spacing between the instances. You can also create a unidirectional pattern.

  1. Select the feature of which you want to create a pattern.
    Important: You cannot create patterns of wireframe, surfaces, and volume elements.
    Tip: You can press Ctrl and select multiple elements from the tree.


  2. From the Transform or the Essentials section of the action bar, click Rectangular Pattern .

    The RectPattern.x dialog box appears. The name of the selected feature appears in the Object tp pattern box.

    Important:
    • If you click Rectangular Pattern before selecting any geometry, by default, the current solid is selected for patterning. For more information, see Patterning Current Solids.
    • If you want to create a pattern of the current solid, right-click the Object to pattern box and select Get Current Solid.
    • If you want to create Part Design features during pattern creation, right-click the Object box, select Insert PartDesign Feature and use the required commands.
    • If you want to copy the specifications of object, select the Keep specifications check box. By default, this check box is cleared.
    • If you want to create patterns of multiple elements, press Ctrl, select the required elements from the tree, and then click Rectangular Pattern . The number of selected elements appears in the Object to pattern box.

      You can also click the object to pattern bag beside the Object box, and then select the required elements from the tree. The selected elements appear in the list and the number of elements appears in the Object box.

      You can add, remove, or replace the objects in the bag. See About Editing a List of Features.
  3. Configure the parameters for the first direction.
    1. In the Parameters list, select the required pattern parameter.
      • Select Instance(s) and Length.
        1. In the Instance(s) box, enter the number of instances.
        2. In the Length box, enter the required total length of the pattern.
      • Select Instance(s) and Spacing.
        1. In the Instance(s) box, enter the number of instances.
        2. In the Spacing box, enter the spacing required between instances.
      • Select Spacing and Length.
        1. In the Spacing box, enter the spacing required between instances.
        2. In the Length box, enter the required total length of the pattern.
      • Select Instance(s) and Unequal Spacing.
        1. In the Instance(s) box, enter the number of instances.
        2. In the work area, select the required spacing constraint, and in the Spacing box, enter the required spacing value.
    2. Click the Reference element box and select the direction from the work area. Alternatively, you can right-click the Reference element box, select Insert Wireframe, and select an appropriate option.

      A preview of the configured pattern appears in the work area.

      Note: You can click Reverse to reverse the direction of the pattern.



  4. Select the Second Direction tab and configure the parameters for the second direction.
    1. In the Parameters list, select the required pattern parameter.
      • Select Instance(s) and Length.
        1. In the Instance(s) box, enter the number of instances.
        2. In the Length box, enter the required total length of the pattern.
      • Select Instance(s) and Spacing.
        1. In the Instance(s) box, enter the number of instances.
        2. In the Spacing box, enter the spacing required between instances.
      • Select Spacing and Length.
        1. In the Spacing box, enter the spacing required between instances.
        2. In the Length box, enter the required total length of the pattern.
      • Select Instance(s) and Unequal Spacing.
        1. In the Instance(s) box, enter the number of instances.
        2. In the work area, select the required spacing constraint, and in the Spacing box, enter the required spacing value.
    2. Click the Reference element box and select the direction from the work area. Alternatively, you can right-click the Reference element box, select Insert Wireframe, and select an appropriate option.

      A preview of the configured pattern appears in the work area.

      Notes:
      • Defining the second direction is optional. You can opt to skip the second direction parameters if you want to create a unidirectional pattern.
      • You can click to reverse the direction of the pattern.



  5. Optional: Click to create a pattern with equal instance on both directions.
    A preview of the pattern appears in the geometry.
    Note: If is selected , a rectangular pattern is created with the number of instances provided in the Instance(s) box in the First Direction tab. In addition, the number of instances in the second direction is set to the number of instances in the first direction. If you change the number of instances in the first direction, the number of instances in the second direction is updated automatically.
  6. Optional: Configure additional parameters.
    • In the Position box under the First Direction tab, enter the position in which you want the original object to be placed in the first direction.

      For example, if you want to create three instances with the original object in second position, one instance is created in the defined direction and the opposite direction. Therefore, the original object is placed in second position.



    • In the Position box under Second Direction tab, enter the position in which you want the original object to be placed in the second direction.



    • Click to distribute the instances symmetrically.
    • In the Rotation angle box, enter the angle by which you want to rotate the rectangular pattern.
  7. Optional: Click Preview.
    A preview of the configured pattern appears in the work area.

Create a Rectangular Pattern with Unequal Spacing

You can create a rectangular pattern with unequal spacing between instances. You can assign specific spacing values between each instance.

  1. Select the feature of which you want to create a pattern.
  2. Click Rectangular Pattern. .

    The RectPattern.x dialog box appears. The name of the selected feature appears in the Object to pattern box.

  3. In the First Direction tab, select the required option from the Parameters list.
  4. Specify the required parameters (length, instances, spacing).
  5. Click the Reference element box and select the direction of the geometry. Alternatively, you can right-click the Reference element box, select Insert Wireframe, and select an appropriate option.
    A preview of the configured pattern appears in the work area displaying the spacing values between each instance.



  6. Perform any one of the following actions to modify the spacing value:
    • Click the spacing value in the 3D area and modify the value in the Spacing box.
    • Modify the spacing value in the Parameter Definition dialog box:
      1. Double-click the spacing value that you want to modify.
      2. Enter the required spacing value in the Value box of the Parameter Definition dialog box and click OK.

        The Parameter Definition dialog box closes. A preview of the pattern with the new spacing appears in the geometry.



    The rectangular pattern is created.
    Tip: You can define formulas to create Cartesian patterns with variable steps. For more information, see Engineering Rules Capture User's Guide.

Create a Staggered Pattern

You can create a staggered pattern by creating an offset on alternate rows.

Before you begin:

Select a feature to create a rectangular pattern and configure the parameters for the first and second directions. For more information, see Create a Rectangular Pattern.

  1. From one of the following options, select the required stagger configuration:
    OptionDescription
    The number of instances in the reference row is more than the adjacent row.


    		The number of instances in the reference row is less than the adjacent row.
  2. Optional: Perform any one of the following actions to define offset spacing.
    • In the Stagger Step box, type the offset value required between alternate rows of the pattern.
      Important: The stagger step must be less than the spacing defined for the second direction.
    • Under Layout options, click Step half of spacing to set the stagger step value to half of the spacing in the second direction.

    Notes:
    • the stagger step value is set to half of the spacing in the second direction.
    • If Step half of spacing is activated, the stagger step value depends on the spacing in the second direction. If the spacing in the second direction is changed, the stagger step value is updated accordingly.

    The staggered pattern is created.