About Pattern Tables

This topic provides you with information concerning the methodology to use when creating linear, curvilinear, or selection patterns. You can import, edit a table to define a pattern, and export it to share it with other designers. Creating a table is also possible for the Selection Pattern command.

This page discusses:

About Methodology

Before you begin, you need to prepare your data according to user-selected formats.

It is advised to start the pattern command, create a sample result, select the table format, and export the pattern to a table.

This table can be used as a sample table, and you can edit it.

Pattern Table in Different Patterns

You can create, import, edit a table to define a pattern, and export it to share it with other designers.

Notes:
  • You can create only one pattern with a table.
  • Only the selection, curvilinear and linear patterns can be created with an Excel pattern table.
  • The column title is case-sensitive.
  • If a column is not recognized, it is ignored, except if it contradicts the pattern format.

The following table lists the available formats for each pattern and the column distribution. The Excel samples are available in ...\startup\Civil\Pattern.

Description of the format name and columns of the tables:

Format Name Accepted Format for Linear Pattern Accepted Format for Curvilinear Pattern Accepted Format for Selection Pattern

Mandatory

column

Optional

column		 Remarks Pattern Table Samples
Local XYZ coordinates Yes No No LocalX Y, Z - LocalXYZCoordinates
XYZ coordinates Yes Yes Yes X Y, Z - XYZ Coordinates Excel File
Geolocated coordinates Yes Yes Yes Easting

Northing, Gravity-related height

 The part must be geolocated. Geolocated Coordinates Excel File
Position along curve No Yes Yes PatternDistance LongitudinalDelta, LateralDelta, VerticalDelta The pattern must have a curve as input. Position along curve Excel File
Position Yes No No PatternDistance - - Position Excel File
Distance between along curve No Yes Yes DistanceBetween LongitudinalDelta, LateralDelta, VerticalDelta The pattern must have a curve as input. Distance between along curve Excel File
Distance between Yes No No DistanceBetween - - Distance between Excel File
Stationing No Yes Yes Station LongitudinalDelta, LateralDelta, VerticalDelta The pattern must have an alignment (defined in civil engineering 3D design) as input. Stationing Excel File

Each pattern table format is defined by a mandatory column, plus optional columns, as summarized in the table above.

The mandatory column is unique among all available formats of a given pattern. A pattern table cannot contain two mandatory columns, for example, “X” and “Easting.” In such case, an error appears.

During table import, it is the name of this mandatory column, which allows the pattern to identify its format. If a nonauthorized pattern is imported into a pattern, an error appears.

The meaning of a column may differ in different patterns, according to the options used in the pattern. If such differences exist, they are described below.

The table can contain other optional columns useful for commands such as Component-Based Design and Rebar Design. These optional columns are ignored for pattern definition. For more information, see Optional Table Columns.

Local XYZ Coordinates Format

The following table lists the values of the Local XYZ coordinates format. They correspond to the local X, Y, Z coordinates of a given point in a local coordinate system.

LocalX(m) Y(m) Z(m)
10.5 -7 100
30.7 -7 100
45.8 -7.5 102.34
68.32 -6.8 96.7

In a Linear Pattern, the local coordinate system is defined by the Master Axis. The local XYZ coordinates format is available only for Linear Pattern.

XYZ Coordinates Format

The following table lists the values of the XYZ coordinates format. They correspond to the X, Y, Z coordinates of a given point in the part coordinate system.

X(m) Y(m) Z(m)
10.5 -7 100
30.7 -7 100
45.8 -7.5 102.34
68.32 -6.8 96.7

Geolocated Coordinates Format

The following table lists the values of the geolocated coordinates format.

Easting(m) Northing(m) Gravity-related height(m)
160.865 153.785 161.937
107.77 -44.669 130.218

The meanings of the three columns are the same as the Geolocated Point command.

Warning:

Note: The geolocated coordinate names of the imported table must match with those of the current CRS of the Part.

The Part must be geolocated with a given CRS (Coordinate Reference System, which can be 3D or 2D), otherwise an error message is displayed.

The geolocated coordinate names are defined by the CRS. The most encountered CRS are 3D with their names: Easting, Northing, Gravity-related height.

Other coordinate names are also possible, for example a 2D CRS coordinate name can be Westing, Southing. Note that this CRS has only 2 coordinates, meaning that the Z is set to 0.

The following table illustrates the geolocated coordinate format when there are only the two values:

Westing(m)Southing(m)
160.865153.785
107.77-44.669

Position Along Curve Format

The following table lists the values of the position along curve format.

PatternDistance(m)

PatternSpacingLength1(m)

 LongitudinalDelta(m)

LateralDelta(m)

AxisOriginDeltaY1(m)

VerticalDelta(m)

AxisOriginDeltaZ1(m)
3 0 0 0
100 0 0 0
200 0 0 0

An input curve is needed for this format.

LongitudinalDelta, LateralDelta, VerticalDelta correspond to a displacement in the X, Y, Z coordinates of the local axis system or the Part axis system. Its meaning depends on the pattern, summarized in the table below.

Offset means that the displacement is in the local axis system.

Translate means that the displacement is in the Part axis system.

Pattern LongitudinalDelta LateralDelta VerticalDelta
Selection Pattern Offset Offset Offset
Curvilinear Pattern Translate Offset Translate
Note: PatternSpacingLength1, AxisOriginDeltaY1, AxisOriginDeltaZ1 are legacy table titles. It is advised not to use them for new tables.

Position Format

The following table lists the values of the position format.

PatternDistance(m)

PatternSpacingLength1(m)
3
100
200

It is used exclusively in Linear Patterns.

PatternDistance corresponds to the distance of an axis system to its master axis along the pattern direction.

Distance Between Along Curve Format

The following table lists the values of the distance between along curve format.

DistanceBetween(m) LongitudinalDelta(m) LateralDelta(m) VerticalDelta(m)
3 0 0 0
100 0 0 0
200 0 0 0

An input curve is needed for this format.

This format is very similar to the Position along curve format.

Instead of defining the point position relative to its start point, in this definition, its position is defined with its distance to its previous point. The label DistanceBetween means that the distance is defined between two consecutive points.

The distance at the first row means the distance to the pattern start point.

The distance between two consecutive axes can be chordal or curvilinear.

In curvilinear patterns where this option is available, DistanceBetween is defined according to the used option.

In selection patterns where this option is not available, DistanceBetween corresponds to the Curvilinear Length option.

The meaning of LongitudinalDelta, LateralDelta, VerticalDelta is the same as in the Position along curve format.

Distance Between Format

The following table lists the values of the distance between format.

DistanceBetween(m)

3
100
200

It is used exclusively in Linear Patterns.

The value of the first row (3m) corresponds to the distance of the first axis system to its master axis along the pattern direction. The values of the following rows correspond to the distance of the current axis system to its previous axis system along the pattern direction.

Stationing Format

The following table lists the values of the stationing format.

Station LongitudinalDelta(m) LateralDelta(m) VerticalDelta(m)
P0+428.606 0 0.2 0.2
P1+20:0.3 0 0.1 0.4

An input alignment is needed for this format. An alignment is a civil engineering 3D design feature.

The meaning of the column Station is the same as in the Point on alignment command.

The unit must not exist in its title. For example, Station(m) is not allowed. This is the only exception in the title definition. For all other titles, such as LateralDelta, the units are mandatory.

A station can contain its lateral offset, as defined after “:” (such as 0.3 in P1+20:03). If such lateral offset exists, they are ignored. Instead, you can use LateralDelta to define the lateral offset.

The meaning of LongitudinalDelta, LateralDelta, VerticalDelta is the same as in the Position along curve format.

Optional Table Columns

The columns needed to define the pattern are described in the paragraph above. But the table can contain other optional columns useful for commands such as Component-Based Design and Rebar Design. These optional columns are ignored for pattern definition.

Color Column

The Color column can be defined either of the following words: white, black, red, green, blue, yellow, magenta, cyan. Any other words are ignored. The column can also be defined by RGD code under the format "000. 000. 000". For example, "1.120.54". The color is assigned to the specification features and user features.

It is used in both commands: Component-Based Design and Rebar Design.

Name, Type, Object Type, and Configuration Columns

  • These columns are only used in the Component-Based Design command.
  • Name: It designates the name of the specification features.
  • Type: the type is assigned to specification features.
  • Object Type: the object type is assigned to specification features.
  • Configuration: the object type configuration. It can be empty if the object type does not contain configurations.

Parameter Columns

In the table, the parameter name corresponds to a parameter defined in the object type. If a parameter, such as VerticalDelta, is used both in the pattern definition and in the object type, then this column is used for both of them.

Tip: If you do not have the Excel table, you can create it. You create a curvilinear or linear pattern without an Excel table by using the Capture Component Specifications command. In the main section of the command dialog box, you can select an item in the Pattern Inputs list and, right-click the Initialize Pattern Table . An Excel table is created, corresponding to the created pattern. Then you can edit the Excel columns.

Here is an example: