Creating Rectangular Patterns

This task shows how to use create rectangular patterns, that is to duplicate an original wireframe or surface-type element at the location of your choice according to a rectangular arrangement.
This means that you will need to define a 2-axis system using two directions.

Open the Pattern1.CATPart document.

  1. Click Rectangular Pattern .

  2. Select the element you wish to replicate as a pattern.

    The Rectangular Pattern Definition dialog box is displayed. Each tab is dedicated to a direction you will use to define the location of the duplicated element.

  3. Click the Reference element field and select a direction to specify the first direction of creation.

    To define a direction, you may select a line, a planar face or surface edge.
    You can reverse this direction by clicking the Reverse button.

  4. Set the duplication parameters by choosing the number of instances, the spacing between instances, or the total length of the zone filled with instances.

    Four options are available:
    • Instance(s) & Length: the spacing between instances is automatically computed based on the number of instances and the specified total length
    • Instance(s) & Spacing: the total length is automatically computed based on the number of instances and the specified spacing value
    • Spacing & Length: the number of instances is automatically computed to fit the other two parameters.
    • Instance(s) & Unequal Spacing:the spacing between instances is specified by the user. You can double-click the spacing value in the geometry area to edit and modify it.
    For each of these cases only two fields are active, allowing you to define the correct value.
    If you set Instance(s) & Length or Spacing & Length parameters, note that you cannot define the length by using formulas.

  5. Click the Second Direction tab to define the same parameters along the other direction of the rectangle.

    You can delete instances of your choice when creating or editing a pattern. To do so, just select the points materializing instances in the pattern preview.
    The instance is deleted, but the point remains, as you may wish to click it again to add the instance to the pattern definition again.

  6. Click More>> to display further options.

    These options let you position the instances in relation to the first selected element.

  7. Increase the Row in direction 2 to 2.

    You notice that the first selected pattern now is the second instance in the vertical direction, as this was the second selected direction.
    Simplified representation lets you lighten the pattern geometry, when more than 15 instances are generated. What you need to do is just check the option, and click Preview. The system automatically simplifies the geometry:
    Previewed simplified geometry
     
    Simplified geometry
     
    You can also specify the instances you do not want to see by double-clicking them. These instances are then represented in dashed lines during the pattern definition and then are no longer visible after validating the pattern creation. The specifications remain unchanged, whatever the number of instances you view. This option is particularly useful for patterns including a large number of instances.

  8. Click OK to create the pattern.

    The pattern (identified as RectPattern.xxx) is added to the specification tree.
    • Patterning User Features (UDFs) is not allowed.
    • You can cut or copy rectangular patterns provided it belongs to the same body.

 

Patterning Volumes
This capability is only available with the Generative Shape Optimizer product.
Open the PatterningVolumes1.CATPart document.

  1. Click Rectangular Pattern .

  2. Select the element you wish to replicate as a pattern.

    The Rectangular Pattern Definition dialog box is displayed.

  3. Click the Reference element field and select a direction to specify the first direction of creation.

  4. Set the duplication parameters by choosing the number of instances, the spacing between instances, or the total length of the zone filled with instances.

  5. Click OK to create the pattern.
 

Creating Rectangular Patterns using Multiple Elements
You can create rectangular patterns using multiple surface or volume elements, i.e. duplicate an original wireframe or surface-type element at the location of your choice according to a rectangular arrangement. For this you need to define a 2-axis system using two directions.
Create a 3D shape containing wireframe, surface or volume elements.

  1. In the 3D area, select all the surface (or volume) elements that you want to replicate.
    The selection should contain either all surface or all volume elements. Mixed selections are unsupported.

  2. Click Rectangular Pattern in the Replicate toolbar.

    The Rectangular Pattern Definition dialog box is displayed with the Object box showing the number of elements you selected in step 1.

  3. Optional: Click to edit the patterning elements.
    The Object to Pattern dialog box is displayed.

  4. Optional: Select an element in the list and click either Remove or Replace to modify individual pattern elements.

  5. Optional: Click Close to close the dialog box.

  6. Specify the required inputs by referring the steps from 3 through 8 as explained in "Creating Rectangular Patterns.

  7. Click OK to create the pattern with multiple elements.