Dialog: Function-Block: Pattern

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Dialog: Function-Block: Pattern

Pattern FB

See Add Pattern FB

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

•A Pattern FB makes Copies of Profile/Extrusions (MD-Solids) and CAD-Solids - 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 

MD-DIALOG-FB-PATTERN-PatElement-EnableType

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

Pattern Type:

2.Click Space Pattern or Phase Pattern.

These two options take a snap-shot of the path of a Solid. The Pattern shows 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 locked to the Part

OR

◉ Phase Pattern

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

b)Each copy of the Solid is at a different advanced position in the machine-cycle.

tog_minus        Pattern Elements 

Pattern-Elements

Pattern-Elements

Pattern-ElementsRed-14-4

Solid elements from which we make for you 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

A Motion FBRed-14-5 can linearize the motion of the Solids in 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!

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.Graphics-area: SHIFT + Click Profile elements to add Extrusion elements that you cannot see

OR

2.Graphics-area: CLICK Extrusion elements that you can see to add Extrusion elements

OR

2.Graphics-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 the 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.Graphics-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 in the boxes

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 tab

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

tog_minusPhases 

MD-DIALOG-FB-PATTERN-PhaseVis-Phases

# Copies: from 1 to 100 :

The number of copies of the Pattern-Elements 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.

IF Phase Pattern

Final Angle = ?- default =360.

The concept of a Motion-Period is important.

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

If Final Angle is, for example, 20º, the Motion-Period is 20º.

•The # Copies show at regular intervals within one Motion-Period, from 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 Pattern Element within each Motion-Period - see Phase Visibility separator.

Hide Source Pattern Element:

Source Pattern Elements are the Solids (CAD-Solids and/or MD-Solids) that you select in the model as Pattern-Elements, and show in the Pattern Elements separator of the Pattern-Elements tab.

Nearly always, enable Hide source Pattern-Element. This is because the Copy #1 and the source Pattern-Element are at the same position

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

It should show in the Phase-Visibilities separator (to see you have selected it).

2.Click the Hide Source Pattern Element check-box.

Copies Box
MD-Dialog-Pattern-Copies-ShowHide

•To hide a Copy for the total Motion-Period, click a OK-tiny-13-17 next to the phase angle of a Copy to show a MD-CROSS.

•To show a Copy for the total Motion-Period, click a MD-CROSS next to the phase angle of a Copy to show a OK-tiny-13-17.

tog_minus   Pattern Visibility

Phase-Visibilities > Pattern-Visvibility

Phase-Visibilities > Pattern-Visvibility

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

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.

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-Element “Extrusion”, 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.