8

Working with Patterns

In this chapter, you learn how to create a linear pattern and a circular pattern. A linear pattern is a one- or two-dimensional array of features. A circular pattern is a circular array of features. The steps include:
q Creating a revolved base feature q Using mirroring to create a feature q Creating a linear pattern q Deleting and restoring an instance of the linear pattern q Creating a circular pattern q Using an equation to drive the circular pattern

SolidWorks 99 Tutorial

8-1

Chapter 8 Working with Patterns

Creating the Revolved Base Feature

In this example you create a housing for a microphone. Because the housing is cylindrical, you can create the housing as a revolved feature.
1 Open a new part, and open a sketch on the default plane, Plane1. 2 Click Grid and make sure that Length Unit is set to Millimeters, set Decimal places to 0, and click to clear Snap to points. Click OK. 3 Sketch and dimension the profile as shown. 4 Click the Fillet

tool on the Sketch Tools

toolbar.
a)

Set Radius to 30mm. b) Leave Keep constrained corners selected so that the corner dimensions and relations are retained to a virtual intersection point. c) Select the endpoint of the 50mm vertical line that is coincident with the endpoint of the diagonal line. d) Click Close.

The corner is filleted away.

8-2

5 Sketch a vertical Centerline

through the

origin. The centerline is the axis around which the profile revolves.
6 Click Revolved Boss/Base on the Features toolbar, or click Insert, Base, Revolve. 7 Leave the default values of Type as One-Direction, Angle at 360, and Revolve as at Solid Feature. Click OK to create the

revolved base.
8 Click Hidden Lines Removed

9 Click Save , and save the part as Mhousing.sldprt.

SolidWorks 99 Tutorial

8-3

Chapter 8 Working with Patterns

Extruding a Thin Feature

Now, create a thin-walled extrusion for the microphone capsule.
1 Select the top face and open a sketch. 2 Click Top a)

to change the view orientation. .

3 Click Offset Entities

Set Offset to 2mm. b) Click Reverse to offset the edge to the inside. c) Click Apply, then click Close to exit the Offset Entities dialog box.

4 Click Extruded Boss/Base Extrude. a)

or Insert, Boss,

Leave Type as Blind. b) Specify a Depth of 5mm. c) Set Extrude as to Thin Feature. d) Click the Thin Feature tab. Leave Type as One-Direction. Set Wall Thickness to 3mm. Click Reverse to extrude the wall to the inside. e) Click OK to create the thin-walled extrusion.

5 Click Isometric

for a better view of the thin-walled

extrusion.
6 Save the part.

8-4

Shelling the Part

Hollow out the part by removing the top and bottom faces.
1 Click Hidden In Gray 2 Click Shell

or Insert, Features, Shell.

The Shell Feature dialog box appears.

3 Set Thickness to 3mm. 4 Click the Faces to remove box, then click the top and
Select these faces

bottom faces as shown.

TIP:

To select an edge or face that is behind the near surface (a hidden edge or face), right-click and choose Select Other from the shortcut menu. The Yes/No pointer appears. When you point and right-click (N), you cycle through the edges or faces under the pointer, highlighting each of them in turn. When the edge or face that you want is highlighted, click (Y).

5 Click OK. 6 To see the shelled part better, click Shaded

and rotate the

part.

SolidWorks 99 Tutorial

8-5

Chapter 8 Working with Patterns

Creating an Oblong Cut

Next you create a profile of an oblong on a reference plane. Use mirroring to take advantage of symmetry and to decrease the number of relations needed to fully define the sketch.
1 Click Hidden Lines Removed

. .

2 Open a sketch on Plane1, and click Normal to 3 Click Centerline 4 Click Line

, and sketch a vertical centerline through the origin.

, and sketch two horizontal lines of equal length, beginning at the centerline. Watch for the on-curve pointer that indicates when you are exactly on the centerline.

5 Click 3 Pt Arc or right-click and select 3 Point Arc. Create a 3-point arc as shown.

Adjust the angle of the arc to 180. Then press Esc to deselect the 3-point arc tool.

8-6

6 Mirror the sketch entities.

Hold down Ctrl, and select the centerline, both horizontal lines, and the 3-point arc. b) Click Mirror on the Sketch Tools toolbar, or click Tools, Sketch Tools, Mirror.
a)

The sketch is mirrored on the other side of the centerline.

7 Dimension the oblong as shown.

Now that the sketch is fully defined, create the cut.

8 Click Isometric 9 Click Extruded Cut

. or Insert, Cut, Extrude.

Select Type as Through All. Click Reverse Direction. Leave Extrude as at Solid Feature.

10 Click OK to create the cut.

SolidWorks 99 Tutorial

8-7

Chapter 8 Working with Patterns

Creating the Linear Pattern

Next create a linear pattern of the oblong cut. You use a vertical dimension to specify the direction in which to create the linear pattern.
1 Double-click Cut-Extrude1 in the FeatureManager design tree.

The dimensions of the Cut-Extrude1 feature appear in the graphics area.

2 Click Linear Pattern Linear Pattern.

on the Features toolbar, or click Insert, Pattern/Mirror,

Leave at First Direction. Click the Direction selected box, then click the 60mm dimension in the graphics area. An arrow appears in the preview indicating the direction of the pattern. If the arrow is not pointing up, click Reverse direction. Set Spacing to 10mm. This value is the distance from a point on one instance of the patterned feature to the corresponding point on the next instance. Set Total instances to 4. This value includes the original cut-extrude feature. Make sure that Cut-Extrude1 is listed in the Items to copy box.

3 Click OK to create the linear pattern. 4 Save the part.

8-8

Deleting and Restoring an Instance of a Pattern

You can delete an instance of a pattern if necessary.
1 Click Zoom To Area 2 Click Select

, then drag the pointer to create a rectangle around the linear pattern. , and select a face on the top

pattern instance.
3 Press the Delete key.

The Pattern Deletion dialog box appears.

4 Make sure that Delete Pattern Instances is

selected and that the location of the pattern instance to be deleted in the Instances Deleted box is (4, 1).
5 Click OK to close the dialog box.

The selected instance of the pattern is deleted.

6 Click Zoom To Fit

to view the entire part.

Now restore the deleted instance of the pattern.

1 Right-click LPattern1 in the FeatureManager design tree, then select Edit Definition.

The Linear Pattern dialog box appears.

2 In the Instances deleted box, click the deleted instance (4, 1), then press the Delete key.

The pattern instance is removed from the Instances deleted box, and restored in the preview.
3 Click OK.

SolidWorks 99 Tutorial

8-9

Chapter 8 Working with Patterns

Creating a Circular Pattern of a Linear Pattern

Now create a circular pattern of the linear pattern, using a temporary axis as the axis of revolution.
1 Click View, Temporary Axes. 2 Click Circular Pattern on the Features toolbar, or click Insert, Pattern/Mirror, Circular Pattern.

Click the Direction selected box, then click the temporary axis that passes through the center of the revolved feature. An arrow appears in the preview indicating the direction of the pattern. If the arrow is not pointing up, click Reverse direction. Set Spacing to 120. Set Total instances to 3. Make sure that LPattern1 is listed in the Items to copy box.
3 Click OK to create the circular pattern.

A circular pattern of the linear pattern is created around the parts axis of revolution.
4 Click View, Temporary Axes to turn off the display of axes, then click Shaded .

NOTE: If you need to use a circular pattern in a part that does not have a temporary

axis in the desired place, you can create an axis, or you can use a linear edge as an axis. For more information about creating an axis, see Chapter 3, Reference Geometry, in the SolidWorks 99 Users Guide and online help.

8-10

Using an Equation in the Pattern

You can use an equation to drive the circular pattern. In this example, the equation calculates the spacing angle by dividing 360 by the number of instances desired. This creates a full circle of equally spaced patterns.
1 In the FeatureManager design tree, double-click CirPattern1.

Two values appear on the part: 3 (total instances) and 120 (spacing angle).
2 Click Equations

on the Tools toolbar, or click Tools, Equations.

3 Click Add in the Equations dialog box. 4 Click the spacing angle value (120) on the part. (You may have to move the dialog

boxes to uncover the dimension.) The name of the value, D2@CirPattern1 (the second dimension in the circular pattern), is entered the New Equation dialog box.
5 Using the calculator buttons in the New Equation box, enter = 360 / (or type =360/). 6 Click the total instances value (3). D1@CirPattern1 is added to the equation.

The equation should look as follows:

D2@CirPattern1 = 360 / D1@CirPattern1 7 Click OK to complete the equation, and click OK again to close the Equations dialog

box. An Equations folder is added to the FeatureManager design tree. To add, delete, or edit an equation, right-click the folder, and select the desired operation. Now test the equation.
1 Increase the total instances of the circular pattern from three to four.

Double-click the total instances value (3). b) Set the value in the Modify dialog box to 4.
a) 2 Click

in the Modify dialog box to rebuild the model, then click to save the current value and to close the Modify dialog box. Press Enter, then click Rebuild or click Edit, Rebuild. on the Standard toolbar,

or

3 Save the part.

SolidWorks 99 Tutorial

8-11