How to create an area fill pattern that parametrically fills an area and adjusts with it.

[Ex Machina]

In this tutorial you will see how to use one simple equation that can create a fill pattern. It works in Alibre although it should work on other Parametric CAD software as well. This equation is based on the parameters of the area you want to fill, such as the length, width, height, etc. The equation can also adjust to different values of these parameters without breaking the pattern.

Variants of the method you see here is to use a linear pattern to fill a line along the radius, and then a circular pattern to create a circular fill pattern, using 2 non-vertical lines as directions to fill a rhombic area, etc.

 

[HaroldL]

Konstantinos,
If you want to expand on this video you should make one with a defined/fixed spacing between the instances of the fill pattern and the start/end distances are variable. Also one showing a diagonal fill pattern (honeycomb).

 

[idslk]

Hello Konstantinos, hello Harold,

i made some kind of this as a script some years ago...

Gridgenerator​

if it would be from interest, i would adept it to the current script version next weekend...

Regards
Stefan

 

[Ex Machina]

Konstantinos,
If you want to expand on this video you should make one with a defined/fixed spacing between the instances of the fill pattern and the start/end distances are variable. Also one showing a diagonal fill pattern (honeycomb).

Hey Harold, those are some interesting ideas.

The fixed spacing/variable start and end distances one is pretty straightforward mathematically but it needs very good and precise application of design intent. Maybe it's worth a video to show that.
As for the honeycomb pattern, that is challenging mathematically. But I already have an idea of where to start. To get a true honeycomb that is, with consistent wall thickness between the hexagonal holes. I was actually thinking of making a video on how to create an ISOgrid using that equation method. Honeycomb might be harder. But now that you've put that bug in me...

Hello Konstantinos, hello Harold,

i made some kind of this as a script some years ago...

Gridgenerator​

if it would be from interest, i would adept it to the current script version next weekend...

Regards
Stefan

idslk, my knowledge of Alibre scripting is extremely limited. I've written some pretty complex simulations in Python, but I do not know anything about the Alibre Onject Model and whatnot. If you could make a script that got the correct values for the variables by correctly projecting them along the 2 directions and then implementing this equation, then I think we would have just created between us a true area fill pattern for Alibre. With a few more tweaks like removing the faces of half-complete features (half complete could be determined by measuring the volume of the boolean intersect between each instance and the original surface. Most will have the same value, some will have less, and non will have more. For those with less, you remove face. Another way to see it is, all those with the max value are completes) then we could take it to a level that is not available in many software today.

P.S. Getting the correct values for the variables by projecting along the directions with a script might be really tricky though...