Mirror or Circular or Linear pattern

[JJ Steel Works]

How can I get my mirrored or pattern objects to keep the full defined positions? I am used to using inventor and there was never the issue that when you mirrored or patterned something that it would not be constrained to the mirrored defined object. It is driving me a little crazy everytime I can one objected that I mirrored or patterned that I have to totally redo everything I already did.

See attached picture. I used a circular pattern on this. First I did a circular pattern for the square extrusion and then I did the circles on top of those and so when I need to change the position of the square extrusion I have to redo 2 of the square ones and redo all the circles as well. It should be when I change the square position it should change everything else with it.

 

[Mibe]

In Alibre Design you always (well, more or less always) create one instance and then pattern in 3D, not 2D.

In your case, create one square and then pattern i 3D. Then create one circle on top of the first square. Extrude and pattern this instance using the parameter for the pattern count from the square. Of course you can extrude both the square and circle and then pattern that in one go, but what's the fun in that?

Concept of my explanation is attached...

 

[DavidJ]

Mibe has it ; 2D sketch patterns only remain editable during the sketch session in which they are created. 3D feature patterns set up parameters in the question editor which are always available for later editing, and edits to the sketch of the seed instance will update all instances.

 

[JJ Steel Works]

In Alibre Design you always (well, more or less always) create one instance and then pattern in 3D, not 2D.

In your case, create one square and then pattern i 3D. Then create one circle on top of the first square. Extrude and pattern this instance using the parameter for the pattern count from the square. Of course you can extrude both the square and circle and then pattern that in one go, but what's the fun in that?

Concept of my explanation is attached...

OK so you are saying there is no option to have it working in the 2D sketch? I have the same issue when doing an offset. The offset line will not be defined to the offset

 

[JJ Steel Works]

Mibe has it ; 2D sketch patterns only remain editable during the sketch session in which they are created. 3D feature patterns set up parameters in the question editor which are always available for later editing, and edits to the sketch of the seed instance will update all instances.

Ok so you are saying it would only be defined in the 3D pattern?

 

[Mibe]

OK so you are saying there is no option to have it working in the 2D sketch? I have the same issue when doing an offset. The offset line will not be defined to the offset

Patterns in 2D-sketches are not parametric with the exclusion for the "Shape"-command but that is a bit limited (only a fixed set of shapes) and basically aimed at sheet metal.

Setting up a 2D-sketch with parameters and construction lines for patterns could in some cases work but compared to doing this in 3D it's a waste of time and a source of errors. 3D Patterns works very well and in the coming version it will (as it seems) be even more useful.

Offset is, at this point, also not parametric which is a shame, but hopefully in an upcoming version.

 

[jfleming]

Offset is, at this point, also not parametric which is a shame, but hopefully in an upcoming version.

Hopefully. As it stands, the Offset function is mostly useless for my design intentions. I found a different way to accomplish what I need though, using the Thin Extrude Cut. and specifying my Offset there.

 

[Jake_Steidy]

Just curious, when doing a linear pattern why couldn't Alibre establish a linear constraint as well as a dimensional constraint that would allow patterned drawings to be fully dimensioned? Something I have pondered.

 

[DavidJ]

Jake, I'm not clear what you mean. Can you give an example?

 

[Jake_Steidy]

You draw a circle that is defined on the origin. That circle's dimensions are fully defined. You do a linear pattern along an axis, x,y. Within the linear pattern you define a length that the 2nd circle is supposed to be. The patterned circle should share a colinear constraint, with the fully defined origin circle and then since the length offset was defined in the pattern window, a dimensional constraint would be placed, and an equals constraint would be shared between the two circles as a pattern of an object would apply an equals constraint, thus fully defining the patterned circle. Seems like something that should be solvable, but might not be possible with the inner workings of Alibre. Let me know if that properly conveys it without confusion David.
Best,
Jake

 

[DavidJ]

A sketch pattern could be the final result, or it could be an intermediate step on the way to a more complex result, perhaps with different dimensions or constraints added. I don't know the history of why the behaviour is exactly as it is, so can only speculate.

Feature pattern is generally a better way to get the (fully defined) result you mentioned.