Dialog: Tool: Pattern

When you cycle the model:

- or -

The same as the Space Pattern, however:

To ADD Elements

Padlock icon.

Click the Padlock, to 'unlock' it, before you can add or remove Pattern elements.

These are the elements from which we create copies for the Space Pattern or Phase Pattern

To add Solids to the 'Pattern Elements' box:

With the Padlock open:

- and/or -

If the motion of the Solids is linear - when they move at constant velocity - then the Solids will show at equal positions. There is no need to select a Motion element.

If the motion of the Solids is not linear, then they will be closer together at machine angles when the Solids move slowly, and they will further apart when they move quickly.

Motion FBs can linearise the position of each Pattern element.

To add Motion FB to the 'Motions to Linearise box:

To remove elements

With the Padlock open:

The Padlock icon:

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

# Copies: from 1 to 100 : The number-of-times the Solid is repeated in the Pattern, and displayed in the graphic-area.

IF Space Pattern:

Start Angle, Final Angle:

IF Phase Pattern:

The concept of a Motion-Period and Motion-Cycle become important.

Final Angle:

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

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

Hide Source Pattern Element:

source Pattern element are those Solids that are in the Pattern box in the Pattern Elements separator.

Nearly always, hide the source Solid. The first copy (at 0) is at the same position as the source Solid.

Copies Box

• To hide a copy, for the complete Motion-Period, click a to show a . • To show a copy, for the complete Motion-Period, click the to show a .

Phase Visibility shows only when you select the Phase Pattern check-box in the Enable and Type.

Show or hide individual Pattern Elements at one or more phases in the Pattern Range.

Think of a chain wrapped around a circular 12-hour clock and the chain moves continuously around the clock. You can hide each chain-link  as they move between 6 and 9 o'clock.

Compare with Copies Visibility: hide a Solid as it moves all the way around the clock

To edit the 'Phase Visibility' of a Solid:

The Solid element - 'Extrusion' or 'CAD-Line' must show in the Edit Pattern Element' box

The Pattern Visibility dialog-box opens.

Phase Visibility: to Show and Hide Solid Elements between different Machine Angles.

When the Solid is hidden, its Mass-Properties are also zero.

Phase Visibility dialog

Visibility of Pattern Element
This identifies the CAD-Line or Solid you are editing in the Phase Visibility dialog.

Phase Visibility Chart
The chart can 'Switch' the visibility of the Pattern element (Solid) over a machine-cycle.

The X–axis is Machine Period or Machine Angle : 0 – 360.

The Y–axis is 'High' to Show or 'Low' to Hide the Solid element in the graphic-area.

In the image: the chart is High from 0º to 90º and also from 190º to 270º.

Add or Remove a Show or Hide Switch.

To add a Switch:

1.	Click the icon

2.	Click the Phase Visibility Chart

To remove a Switch:

1.	Click a Node

2.	Click the icon

The dialog removes the switch that needs the Node

You cannot remove all of the Phases.

To Edit a Node:

1.	Click a Node

2.	Edit the machine angle of the Node in the Switch Phase data box (Node Position).

Build a model:

The Mechanism:  A 'Piggyback Slider' arrangement

Add 'Slider 1', Add 'Slider 2' to move on Slider 1', but moving in a perpendicular direction to 'Slider 1'.

The Motion:  Default motion (Rise-Dwell-Return-Dwell)

Advance the motion of the Slider 2 by 90º:
Edit the Linear Motion FB, and set it to 90º.

The path taken by the Origin of the Slider that moves along the X and the Y–axis should be a 'square'.

The Pattern element : a Solid:

Add a Profile/Extrusion at the Origin of Slider 2

It is in the Assembly-Tree.

There is a copy of the Source Extrusion every 45º of the Master Machine Angle, starting at 0º.

The motions for the Extrusion happens to produce a regular pattern for the Extrusion.

The model should be like the image to the left.

There is a copy every 60º of the Master Machine Angle, starting at 0º .

The copy shows at the position that the Extrusion would show at each angle (in the Copies List box) with reference to the Master Machine Angle.

See Video to the Left.

Edit the Copies

See Video to the Left.

'Compress the Copies'

Edit the Start and End-Angles.

This changes the range of the Master Machine Angle over which the eight copies are distributed.

CONDITION 2/1: Part Moves with a Non-Linear-Motion - See Motion above

The Part rotates 360 in a machine-cycle

Start Angle = 0; End Angle = 360;

Copies = 6

Example Instance: Look up the second instance of the Pattern.

X–axis = SA + (EA-SA ∕ 6*(2-1)= 60.

When the X– Axis is 60, the Y motion-value is 100.

This means the second instance after the start, is 100º.

CONDITION 1/2: Part Moves with a Linear-Motion - for example Constant Angular Velocity

The Part rotates 360 in a machine-cycle

Start Angle = 0; End Angle = 120.

Copies = 6

Example Instance: Look up the fourth instance of the Pattern.

X–axis = SA + (EA-SA ∕ 6*(4-1)= 60.

When the X– Axis is 60, the Y motion-value is 100.

This means the fourth instance after the start, is also 100 degrees.

Build a model:

The Mechanism:  A 'Piggyback Slider' arrangement

Add 'Slider 1', Add 'Slider 2' to move on Slider 1', but moving in a perpendicular direction to 'Slider 1'.

The Motion:  Default motion (Rise-Dwell-Return-Dwell)

Advance the motion of the Slider 2 by 90º:
Edit the Linear Motion FB, and set it to 90º.

The path taken by the Origin of the Slider that moves along the X and the Y–axis should be a 'square'.

The Pattern element : a Solid:

Add a Profile/Extrusion at the Origin of Slider 2

It is in the Assembly-Tree.

There is a copy of the Source Extrusion every 45º of the Master Machine Angle, starting at 0º.

The motions for the Extrusion happens to produce a regular pattern for the Extrusion.

The model should be like the image to the left.

See Video to the Left.

Edit the Copies

See Video to the Left.

'Compress the Copies'

Edit the Start and End-Angles.

This changes the range of the Master Machine Angle over which the eight copies are distributed.