Creating User Patterns

You can duplicate a feature, a list of features or a body (resulting from an associating bodies) as many times as you want, at the locations of your choice.

Locating instances consists in specifying anchor points. These points are created in the Sketcher.

This task shows you how to duplicate a feature list including a pocket and a fillet at the points defined in a same sketch plane.

Related Topics
About Patterns
Exploding Patterns
More about Optimizing Part Design Performance

  1. Select the filleted pocket you wish to duplicate. Note that whenever you are using a feature list, you need to multi-select the features in the order they were created.



  2. Click User Pattern .

    The User Pattern Definition dialog box appears. The information "2 elements" appear in the Object box, indicating that two features are selected.



    Keep specifications creates instances with the limit Up to Next ( Up to Last, Up to Plane or Up to Surface) defined for the original feature.

    The Keep specifications option is not available for:


    • feature lists

    • patterning patterns.

    Important:
    • If you change your mind and decide to pattern the current solid, right-click the Object box and select Get current solid.
    • If you click User Pattern before selecting any geometry, by default, the object to be patterned is the current solid. For more information, see Patterning Current Solids.

  3. In the specification tree select the sketch including the nine points you need to locate the duplicated pockets. and click Preview.

  4. As you just need seven points, click both points you do not need to unselect them.

    Anchor By default, the application positions each instance with respect to the center of gravity or the element to be duplicated. To change this position, use the anchor box: click the Anchor box and select a vertex or a point.

    Note that contextual commands creating the anchors you need are available from the Anchor box:

    • Insert Wireframe > Create Point: For more information, see Generative Shape Design User's Guide: Creating Wireframe Geometry: Creating Points..
    • Insert Wireframe > Create Midpoint: Creates the midpoint of the line you select.
    • Insert Wireframe > Create Endpoint: Creates the endpoint of the line you select.
    • Insert Wireframe > Create Intersection: See Generative Shape Design User's Guide: Creating Wireframe Geometry: Creating Intersections. .
    • Insert Wireframe > Create Projection: See Generative Shape Design User's Guide: Creating Wireframe Geometry: Creating Projections..

    If you create any of these elements, the application then displays the corresponding icon next to the Anchor box. Clicking this icon enables you to edit the element.

  5. Click OK.

    The pockets and fillets are created at the points of the sketch. The specification tree indicates this creation.

    Warning: You cannot cut nor copy user patterns.