Dialog: Function-Block: Pattern

<< Click to Display Table of Contents >>

Navigation:  MechDesigner Reference & User Interface > Dialog-Boxes >

Dialog: Function-Block: Pattern

Pattern FB

See Add Pattern FB

If you use regular CAD, you will know about circular and linear arrays. In MechDesigner, there is more complexity because parts have complex motions.

A Pattern FB makes Copies of Profile/Extrusions and CAD-Solids - see Solids,

The Pattern FB anticipates the motion of each Copy and puts each Copy at a different phase of the machine-cycle.

The Pattern FB can show or hide each Copy for the machine-cycle.

The Pattern FB can show or hide each Copy as it passes through different phases of the machine-cycle.

Use Visibility toolbar > Show Solids in Mechanisms to see the Copies of the Solids that are generated by the Pattern FB.

Open Pattern FB dialog-box

MD-Icon-FB-Pattern

Open the Pattern FB:

1.Click the Pattern FB in the Assembly-Tree.

The Pattern FB is now in the Selection-Window

2.Right-click the Pattern FB element in the Selection-Window

3.Click Edit element in the contextual-menu

- or -

1.See How to Open a Dialog-Box.

The Pattern Elements dialog-box is now open.

Pattern dialog-box

MD-DIALOG-FB-PATTERN

There are two tabs in the Pattern dialog-box:

Pattern Elements

Phase Visibilities

Pattern Elements tab

tog_minusEnable and Pattern Type
MD-DIALOG-FB-PATTERN-PatElement-EnableType

1.Click Enable check-box to make the Pattern dialog-box active

2.Click Space Pattern or Phase Pattern.

These two options take a snap-shot of the path of a Solid. The Pattern will show copies of the Solid at equal increments of its path in the machine-cycle.

◉ Space Pattern (Note: I rarely use this option!)

When you cycle the model:

a)Each copy of the Solid moves with the Part

- or -

◉ Phase Pattern

a)Each copy of the Solid moves along the normal path of the Solid.

b)Each copy of the Solid is at an advanced position in the machine-cycle.
tog_minusPattern Elements

Pattern-ElementsRed-14-4

Solid elements from which we make copies for the Space Pattern or Phase Pattern.

There are two categories of Solid elements you can add as Pattern Elements:

•MD-Solids - Profile/Extrusions - you MUST select the Extrusion

•CAD-Solids - Solids you import onto a CAD-Line - you can select the CAD-Solid or the CAD-Line.

Motion to LinearizeRed-14-5

It is intended that a Motion FB will linearize the motion of the Solids in a Pattern-ElementsRed-14-4. Experiment!

•If the Solids in the Pattern-ElementsRed-14-4 move as you expect, do not add a Motion FB.

•If the Solids in the Pattern-ElementsRed-14-4 do not move as you expect, do add a Motion FB - but this may not solve the problem!
MD-DIALOG-FB-PATTERN-PatElement-PatternType

Add SOLIDS to the Pattern-Elements boxRed-14-4

Pattern-Elements toolbar

Pattern-Elements toolbar

1.Pattern-Elements toolbar: Click the PadlockRed-14-1 to unlock the toolbar

2.Graphic-Area: SHIFT+CLICK Profile elements to add Extrusion elements that you cannot see

OR

2.Graphic-Area: CLICK Extrusion elements that you can see to add Extrusion elements

OR

2.Graphic-Area or Assembly-Tree: Click CAD-Lines onto which a CAD-Solid has been imported.

3.Pattern-Elements toolbar: Click the PadlockRed-14-1 to lock the toolbar and box.

Solid elements are now in the Pattern Elements box as Extrusions and/or CAD-Lines.

To add a Motion FB to Motion to Linearize boxRed-14-5

Pattern-Elements toolbar

Pattern-Elements toolbar

1.Pattern-Elements toolbar: Click the PadlockRed-14-1 to unlock the Pattern-Elements toolbar.

2.Graphic-Area or Assembly-Tree: Click a Motion FB

3.Pattern-Elements toolbar: Click the PadlockRed-14-1 to lock the Pattern-Elements toolbar and box.

A Motion FB is now in the Motions to Linearize box

To remove a SolidRed-14-4 or Motion FBRed-14-5

Pattern-Elements toolbar

Pattern-Elements toolbar

1.Pattern-Elements toolbar: Click the PadlockRed-14-1 to unlock the Pattern-Elements toolbar.

2.Click to select a Pattern-Element or a Motion FB

3.Click the Remove SolidRed-14-2 or the Remove Motion FBRed-14-3 button in the Pattern-Elements toolbar

4.Pattern-Elements toolbar: Click the PadlockRed-14-1 to lock the Pattern-Elements toolbar and box.

Phase Visibilities

To help you understand what the Phase-Visibilities can do, it is helpful to think of a chain around a circular 12-hour clock. The chain moves continuously around the clock. One of the chain-links is the Source Pattern-Element (Solid).

•Use PHASES to decide how many chain-links you want in the chain - called # Copies

•Use PHASES to hide one or more chain-links (the Copies) permanently, all the way around the clock.

•Use Pattern Visibility to hide chain-links (one link after the next link) only as they move between hours e.g.: 6 and 9 o'clock

tog_minusPhases
MD-DIALOG-FB-PATTERN-PhaseVis-Phases

Phases are copies of Pattern-Elements.

# Copies: from 1 to 100 : The number of copies of the Pattern-Elements to be in the Pattern

The format of the Phases separator is slightly different for the Space Pattern and the Phase Pattern.

IF Space Pattern:

Start Angle, Final Angle:

•The Copies show at equal intervals from the Start Angle to the Final Angle.

•The Phase Visibility separator does not show.

IF Phase Pattern:

The concept of a Motion-Period becomes important.

Final Angle:

e.g. 1: If Final Angle is 360, then the Motion-Period is equal to 1 Machine-Cycle

e.g. 2: If Final Angle is 20º, the Motion-Period is 20º.

•The # Copies show at regular intervals within one Motion-Period, from Home Angle (MMA=0) to Final Angle.

•The Phase Pattern repeats one time for each Motion-Period or 36  ∕ 20 = 18 times in 1 Machine-Cycle

•You can show or hide each copy within each Motion-Period - see Phase Visibility separator.

Hide Source Pattern Element:

Source Pattern Elements are those Solids that are you select in the model as Pattern-Elements , and show in the Pattern Elements separator of the Pattern-Elements tab.

Nearly always, hide the source Pattern-Element. This is because the source Pattern-Element and the first copy (at 0°) are at the same position. It can be become confusing if you intend to hide the Copy (at 0°) but the Source Pattern-Element remains in the model.

1.Click a Pattern-Element in the Pattern Elements separator and Pattern-Elements tab

It should show in the Phase-Visibilities

2.Click the Hide Source Pattern Element check-box

Copies Box
MD-Dialog-Pattern-Copies-ShowHide

•To hide a copy for the Motion-Period, click a OK-tiny-13-17 to show a MD-CROSS.

•To show a copy for the Motion-Period, click the MD-CROSS to show a OK-tiny-13-17.
tog_minus Pattern Visibility
Phase-Visibilities > Pattern-Visvibility

Phase-Visibilities > Pattern-Visvibility

Note: Pattern Visibility Red-14-1bshows only if you select Phase Pattern - see Enable and Type.

We use Pattern Visibility to show or hide a Pattern-Element for different periods within the Motion-Period.

To edit the Visibility of a Pattern-Element:

1.Click an Extrusion or CAD-Line in the Pattern Elements box - see Pattern-Elements tab

The element - Extrusion or CAD-Line - must show in the Pattern-Element to EditRed-14-2 box.

2.Click the Edit Visibility of Pattern-Element... buttonRed-14-3.

The Pattern Visibility interface is now open.

You can now edit the Visibility of the element that is in the Pattern-Element to EditRed-14-2 box
tog_minusHow to use the Pattern Visibility interface

Refer to the image below:

Red-14-1 Pattern-Element box (top-left)- Identifies the Pattern-Element you are editing.

Red-14-2 Phase Visibility Timing Chart - this chart controls the Visible-Period of the Pattern-Element (Solid) in the Motion-Period.

As an example, we will edit the Visibility Chart:

In the image below, the chart is High from 0º to 360º. This means the Visible-Period for the Pattern-Element is a complete motion-period.
MD-Dialog-Pattern-PhaseVisibilities-Interface-A

There are two(2) Nodes that identify and specify the timing of each Visible-Period in the chart.

•Node at the Start - Start-Node Red-14-3

•Node at the End - End-Node Red-14-4

To edit a Visible-Period for the Pattern-Element we must edit the timing of the Start-Node and/or End-Node.

STEP 1.(Example) Edit the Start-Node and End-Node to define a Visible-Period.

1.Click the Start-NodeRed-14-3.

When a Start-Node is Red ...

2.Edit the Node's TimingRed-14-5

Do 1 and 2 again, but click the End-NodeRed-14-4, to define the Visible-Period for the Pattern-Element

The image below shows the new timing of the Visible-Period for the Pattern-Element (Extrusion).

It starts at 50 and end at 150 in the Machine-Cycle.
MD-Dialog-Pattern-PhaseVisibilities-Interface-B

STEP 2.(Example continued...) Add a new Visible-Period

- see image above.

1.Click MD-Switch Add Node button Red-14-6

2.Click the Phase Visibility Chart in a free areaRed-14-7 that is not within the Visible-Period 50 to 150 - see cursor in the image above

There is now a new Visible-Period in the Phase-Visibility Chart - see image below.

STEP 3.Edit the Start-Node and End-Node to define the timing of the new Visible-Period.

1.Click the Start-NodeRed-14-3 or End-NodeRed-14-4 of the new Visible-Period

When a Node is Red ...

2.Edit the Node's TimingRed-14-5

Do 1 and 2 again to define the new Visible-Period for the Pattern-Element

The image below shows two Visible-Periods for the Pattern-Element (Extrusion)

Visible Period MD-Red-1-17-Sq - Starts at 50 and ends at 150

Visible-Period MD-Red-2-17-Sq - Starts at 200 and ends at 300
MD-Dialog-Pattern-PhaseVisibilities-Interface

STEP 4.(Example continued...) Delete a Visible-Period  

1.Click the Start-Node or End-Node of the Visible Period you want to delete

In the image above the End-NodeRed-14-8 of Visible-Period MD-Red-1-17-Sq  is Red ...

2.Click MD-RemoveSwitchDELETE-Node Red-14-9

The Visible-PeriodMD-Red-1-17-Sq is removed for the Pattern-Element (Extrusion)

The image below shows one Visible-Period for the Pattern-Element (Extrusion)

You can now Click OK-tiny-11-15 to close the Pattern Visibility interface.
MD-Dialog-Pattern-PhaseVisibilities-Interface-C