Incremental Pattern? Different Ctrs? 1

[PieBoy]

Hello all, I've used ProE for a few year but have been away from it for 2-3 years now. Also I have been introduced to Wildfire!
I have a group of features e.g. an Extrusion ,Cut & Rads. I want to pattern/copy them at individual/different increments to each other.
Can this be done? Sorry for being dim but things have changed so much between releases.

Thanks in advance

Mark

 

[looslib]

You can do a pattern table.

"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."
"Fixed in the next release" should replace "Product First" as the PTC slogan.

Ben Loosli
CAD/CAM System Analyst
Ingersoll-Rand

 

[PieBoy]

I want to have the pattern dimensioned to the provious feature rather than from a base point. Suppose I could produce one feature, then another dimensiond to the last one then create a pattern table from the offset dimension? Will that work?

 

[Guest0527211403]

You can also make Pattern Relations.

Start the pattern, select the dimension to be patterned, open up the "Dimensions" tab, set the increment to 0 (if necessary) and check of the "Define increment by Relations" box.

You can then make relations to define your spacing. For example:

memb_i = idx1 * 2

Will result in your increment getting twice as large with every pattern member (starting at 2). If you can define your spacings according to some function, this would work best.

If the spacing is a series of arbitrary numbers, you can use IF...ELSE statements in these relations, for example:

if (idx1==1)
memb_i=2
else
if (idx1==2)
memb_i=6
else
memb_i = 10
endif
endif


I've used memb_i (the increment[/i)] as oppoesed to memb_v (the value), since that is what you described you needed. idx1 increments by one with each new pattern member.

----------
"By all means, do not use a hammer." (1925 IBM Maintenance Manual)

 

[PieBoy]

Sounds good, idx1 is the table index? Then memb_i is the given value?
I'll have a play. Thank you!!

 

[mloew]

What is the advantage to using the Pattern Relation rather than just creating the pattern table manually and then creating relations? I do the latter routinely. Am I missing something?

Best regards,

Matthew Ian Loew


Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[Guest0527211403]

yep, idx1 starts at 1.

memb_i is the increment (so if you are using it for locating dimensions, it is the distance from the previous instance).

memb_v is the value of the dimension itself.

You get a warning in the relation editor (notepad) that you can't use memb_i and memb_v in the same relation.

One downfall to this method is that you can't show dimensions on the drawing unless you create them manually. But you can use parameters and relations to control these even further, so you can get it to be parametric by tying the increment to certain parameters in the IF..ENDIF statement.

----------
"By all means, do not use a hammer." (1925 IBM Maintenance Manual)

 

[Guest0527211403]

Matthew

I like pattern relations because it would be easier to add additional instances without having to update a table and then update relations. This really only applies when you can clearly define the dimension's increment by a function, though.

The IF...ENDIF parts are a bit cumbersome to work with (I wish there was a way to make arrays and FOR..NEXT loops in Pro/E's relation editor... hmm, is there?). Your method would work much better, since the relations are much easier to visualize.

 

[PieBoy]

I think I follow, been so long. Just getting back into ProE. Wildfire seems to be alot different! Where's the cut and slot gone?!?!? LOL!!

if (idx1==1)
memb_i=2
else
if (idx1==2)
memb_i=6
else
memb_i = 10
endif
endif

So item 1 in my table (idx1==1) is an increment of 2 form last possition....

So item 2 in my table (idx1==2) is an increment of 6 form last possition....

 

[Guest0527211403]

You got it..

And anything else is 10 from the last position.

 

[PieBoy]

Spot on, thanks mate

 

[mjcole]

Sounds like you might want to try using copy move functionality if it still exists in some form on Wildfire.
Have you tried this yet.

Michael

 

[PieBoy]

No not yet, I did find a copy function, where your sketch is copied then you add your refs like when creating from fresh.
Gonna get on the job sometime tomorrow, I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[mloew]

Thanks Mark. One of the things I am after is the ability to show the dimensions. I also often use the pattern table so I am not forced into regular (or related) intervals. Think I will keep doing it the way I have been.

Best regards,

Matthew Ian Loew


Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[Guest0527211403]

PieBoy

For your own reference, the Copy-Move functionality is part of the "Paste Special" command. Group your features (Select-->Right Click-->Group), hit Copy and the Paste Special, and check off the option to Apply Move/Rotate transformations.

As Michael pointed out, this way will let you specify the interval, but you lose the capability to create reference patterns (might be useful at assembly time). Any way you do it, there is always some form of trade-off...

Matthew: I use pattern tables much more than relations as well, since it is a nice neat way to organize all of the data. It's always nice to know all of your options, though. This discussion weighs them out pretty well.

 

[PieBoy]

I still have't tried the relation method, i did copy the group then 'paste special' with the Move selection. It worked perfect. Not done the drawing yet so dont know if the moved dimension is gonna be there.

I'd like to thank you all for your input!!

Mark

 

[PieBoy]

Done the Drawing, and yes the "Moved Dim" does show in the drawing!