Newbie Question: Linear Pattern

What if you make a configuration for each one and then change the config of each one after the patterning?

SW has an ongoing problem getting this to work right. We have struggled with it for years.

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I don't know that the current situation is necessarily wrong. This is the same scenario when we put a shim stack under a bearing. The different thicknesses are necessary for adjustment and each different thickness has to be a separate config so it can be made and tracked. Otherwise the BOM would show all the same item.

A bit different scenario is when we stack up counterweight bars on a lift. You may have several of the same part stacked up with a pattern and then they look like one solid mass. So what I usually do is color every other one in the assy so they are a bit different than the adjacent ones. That way it's clearer that you have multiple stacked items there, rather than one large block. But then if I also include some thinner ones for finer adjustment, they are a different config because of the different material to make them.

WT

Mmm... Oreo.

I use both ProE & SW. Patterning has always been one of those areas where I wish the two companies would borrow from each other. ProE can do exactly what you're asking because it can pattern any dimension, not just the location of a feature. If the location/sizing is not uniformly distributed, all you would have to do is create a pattern table with two columns: one for the location of each Oreo, another for the size of the filling.

I wish ProE would implement SW's method for placing/patterning multiple holes. It's very efficient to visually locate all the holes on a surface by dimensioning points in a 2D or 3D sketch. This assists greatly in maintaining design intent. ProE on the other hand forces you to create one hole and use a pattern to locate the rest. If you want to keep your holes equidistant from the edges of a rectangular plate, you'll have to use relations to control your pattern table parameters. It gets messy.

Anyhow, I'm done ranting and being minimally helpful. I agree with the others. The closest thing to a real solution is probably to create configurations of the filling. Each config could be a different BOM entry. Good luck.

I recently discovered the "Vary Sketch" option for patterns in SW. By messing around with some construction sketches I was able to do what I believe you were reqauesting. It's nothing I would do in a production design, but it's an interesting proof of concept. Send me a msg if you want the model.