Patterning User Defined Features (UDFs)

You can pattern a user defined feature using two methods.

This task shows you how to:

Related Topics
About Patterns
Creating Rectangular Patterns
Creating Circular Patterns
Creating Complex Patterns

Method 1

In this method, you need to first select the pattern command and then the user-defined feature you want to duplicate.

  1. Click Rectangular Pattern .

  2. Select the user-defined feature (UDF) you want to duplicate. Here the pattern is treated as a single feature. Keep specifications is disabled and dimmed.

    Important:
    • The order of selection affects the availability of the Keep specifications option.
    • When using this first creation method, the Pattern command does not propagate the UDF's color to the pattern.

Method 2

In this method, you need to first select the user-defined feature you want to duplicate and then the command to pattern it.

  1. Select the user-defined feature (UDF) you want to duplicate.

  2. Click Rectangular Pattern . The application treats the pattern feature as a complex pattern, that is a pattern made from a list of diverse features. Keep specifications is enabled and dimmed. The created pattern you create keeps the UDF specifications.

    Important:
    • Selecting the pattern capability then the UDF is the method we recommend for best performance optimization.
    • You can pattern only UDF solids composed of one single feature.
    • Patterning UDFs is allowed in Part Design, not in Generative Shape Design.
    • When using this second creation method, the Pattern command instantiates the UDF directly and this UDF instance is directly used to build the result of the UDF. Therefore the pattern obtained can inherit the UDFs' color.
    Warning: The pattern does not give appropriate results if the UDFs contains elements with non-movable sub-elements (wireframe geometry like points, lines, planes or B-Reps like edges, faces etc.). In this case, the following warning message is displayed :

    The list of features to be patterned contains elements with non-movable sub-elements (i.e. wireframe geometry, edges etc.). Consequently, the Pattern operation may produce wrong results. (In case you want to pattern a User Feature, launch pattern command first and then select the User Feature for stable results.) Do you want to continue?