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 

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.