Constrained Linear Pattern

This pattern allows you to distribute entities or operations between 2 points or on a plane with a centering mode and a distribution type.

Creation stages / Use:

Click the icon or select the Construction > Pattern > Constrained Linear Pattern... command from the drop-down menu.

Select the definition mode of the pattern:

- Between points: the pattern is created from a start point and an end point, a vertical direction which manage the orientation of the frame and an orientation.

Example of constrained linear pattern between 2 points with a Normal

orientation (according to the 2 selected points).

In this case, the vertical direction allows to define the frame orientation (the direction of the X axis is defined by the 2 points and the direction of the Y axis is defined by the vertical direction).

Example of constrained linear pattern between 2 points with the Vertical orientation.

- On plane: the pattern is created from a direction, a support plane, a start and an end geometry.

When the Automatic mode is checked, the faces or edges perpendicular to the selected direction are automatically selected as start and end geometries. When a face and an edge are matching this criteria, the priority is given to the face.

When the Automatic mode is unchecked, the direction is no longer asked, it is defined in the Axis position dialog.

Choose the distribution parameters:
- Fixed count: the distribution is defined with a number of instance (Total count) and eventually, start and end margins.
- Maximum distance: the distribution is defined with a maximum distance between instances and eventually a thickness which reduce the value of the maximum distance.
- Step : the distribution is defined with a distance between instances.

See The Distribution Modes of the Constrained Linear Pattern page for more details.

Confirm the creation of the pattern with the button.

This command produce a frame that can be used while creating a drilling or positioning a component.

Thereby, the first instance of the drilling or the component will be positioned properly and may be repeated using this pattern.

Available options:

Axis position:

When the On plane mode is selected, this dialog allows you to locate the axis with two ways:

Centered: the axis is centered according to two parallel geometries.
Offset: the axis is parallel to one geometry.

These geometries should be straight (linear edges, axis or linear segment) or planar (faces, planes).


Example of distribution on plane (blue) centered according to the front plane (pink) and the opposite parallel plane (yellow and black dotted line).	Example of distribution on offset plane (blue) created from the front plane (pink).

Distribution:

Edge to edge: This option allows you to position an occurrence on each extremities of the pattern. It is available with Distance maximum the mode only.

Margins: The margins allows you to reduce the total length (distance between the start and end points or length of the selected plane), they can be the same (equal margins) or different (distinct margins).

Center: This option allows you to center the pattern on the remaining length (total length minus margins). It is available with Step the mode only.

When this option is unchecked and the margins are distinct, the value of the start margin will be strictly respected.

Alternated numbering:

If Alternated numbering is not checked, the entities are numbered incrementally from the first to the last, which can be problematic if, for example, a part is positioned on the last hole (e.g. no. 4). If the number of holes increases, the part remains in its place (on the 4th hole), but if the number of holes decreases, its position shall be invalidated because there no longer is a 4th hole.
When the Alternated numbering option is checked, the first instance is numbered as1, the last one is numbered as 2 and the other ones are alternated (the 2nd=3, the next to last=4, the 3rd=5 and so on...). In this case, if, for example a part is positioned on the last hole (numbered 2), regardless of the change in the number of holes, the part will remain on the last hole.

Result:

This area displays the values of the pattern (total distance, margins, step, number of occurrences).

Advanced Options:

Create parameters: When this option is checked all the computed values are also available as parameters in the Entities tree.

These parameters are stored in a sub-folder of the Parameters folder, the name of the pattern is used as suffix.