Dialog: Function-Block: Pattern

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Dialog: Function-Block: Pattern

Pattern FB

See Add Pattern FB


Use a Pattern FB to make Copies of Profile/Extrusions (MD-Solids) and/or CAD-Solids at different phases of the machine-cycle - see Solids,

The Pattern FB anticipates the motion of each Copy and puts each Copy at a position that corresponds to its phase of the machine-cycle.

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

The Pattern FB can use a timing-chart to show or hide Copies as they pass through different phases of the machine-cycle.


Use Visibility toolbar > Show Solids in Mechanisms to see the Copies that we generate for you with the Pattern FB.


How to open the Pattern FB dialog

MD-Icon-FB-Pattern

Open the Pattern FB dialog:

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 shortcut menu

OR

1.See How to Open a dialog.

The Pattern FB dialog is now open.


Pattern dialog

Pattern FB dialog

Pattern FB dialog

There are two tabs in the Pattern FB dialog:

Pattern Elements

Phase Visibilities

Pattern Elements tab

tog_minus        Enable and Pattern Type 

tog_minus        Pattern Elements 

Phase Visibilities tab

Phases are the number of copies of the Pattern-Elements and the machine-angles to show or hide them.

tog_minusPhases 

tog_minus   Pattern Visibility

How to use the Pattern Visibility interface

Refer to the image below:

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

Red-14-2 Phase Visibility Timing Chart - the chart controls the Visible-Period(s) of the Pattern-Elements.

As an example:

In the image below, there is one Visible-Period of the Pattern-ElementExtrusion”, from 0º to 360º.

MD-Dialog-Pattern-PhaseVisibilities-Interface-A

There are two(2) Nodes that control the timing of each Visible-Period.

Red-14-3 Node at the Start of Visible-Period - Start-Node

Red-14-4 Node at the End of Visible-Period - End-Node

To edit a Visible-Period for the Pattern-Element you 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-Node Red-14-3.

When the Start-Node is Red ...

2.Edit the Node's Timing Red-14-5 to control the start of the Visible-Period for the Pattern-Element Red-14-1.

Then

3.Click the End-Node Red-14-3

When the End-Node is Red ...

3.Edit the Node's Timing Red-14-5 to control the end of the Visible-Period for the Pattern-Element Red-14-1.

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 which is not in the Visible-Period (e.g. between 150 and 360) - see cursor in the image above.

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

STEP 3.(Example continued...) 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 the two Visible-Periods in the Phase-Visibility Chart 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

We delete Visible-PeriodMD-Red-1-17-Sq from the Phase-Visibility Chart

The image below shows one Visible-Period in the the Phase-Visibility Chart 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

Pattern Visibilities - example

Imagine a chain wrapped around a circular, 12-hour, analog, clock. There are 12 hours and 12 chain-links in the chain.

The chain moves continuously around the circular clock.

To add the 12 copies of the Pattern-Element (see Pattern-Elements tab chain-links is the Source Pattern-Element (Solid).

Edit Phase Visibilities tab > PHASES separator > # Copies to edit the number of chain-links on the chain - in this example, 12 copies to give 12 chain-links.

You will see in the box below the angle of the 12 Copies, when the MMA=0.

Click a copy in the table.

The OK-tiny-13-17 changes to a MD-CROSS  for each copy you click.

A OK-tiny-13-17 next to the copy means you can see the copy move around the clock - however, see also Pattern Visibilities

A MD-CROSS next to the copy means you can not see the copy, as it moves all the way around the clock.

Nearly always, enable Hide Source Pattern-Element.

Use Pattern Visibility to hide each chain-link, one link after the next link, as it moves between hours, for example, between 6 and 9 o'clock.