Circular Pattern PropertyManager

The Circular Pattern PropertyManager appears when you pattern one or more features around an axis. You can also pattern planes and axes.

To open this PropertyManager:

Click Circular Pattern (Features toolbar) or Insert > Pattern/Mirror > Circular Pattern.

Some fields that accept numeric input allow you to create an equation by entering = (equal sign) and selecting global variables, functions, and file properties from a list.

Direction 1

  Pattern Axis Select an entity in the graphics area:
  • Axis
  • Circular edge
  • Linear edge or linear sketch line
  • Cylindrical face or surface
  • Revolved face or surface
  • Angular dimension
The pattern is created around this axis. Click Reverse Direction to change the direction of the circular pattern.
  Instance spacing Specifies the distance between the centers of instances.
  Equal spacing Sets Angle to 360°.
Angle Specifies the angle between each instance.
Number of Instances Specifies the number of instances of the seed feature.

Direction 2

  Direction 2 Enables Direction 2 options.
  Symmetric Creates a symmetrical pattern from the seed feature.
  Instance spacing Specifies the distance between the centers of instances.
  Equal spacing Sets Angle to 360°.
Angle Specifies the angle between each instance.
Number of Instances Specifies the number of instances of the seed feature.

Features and Faces

  Features and Faces Enables Features and Faces options.
Features to Pattern Creates the pattern by using the selected feature as the seed feature.


Faces to Pattern Creates the pattern by using the faces that make up the feature. Select all the faces of the feature in the graphics area. This is useful with models that import only the faces that make up the feature, and not the feature itself.
When using Faces to Pattern, the pattern must remain within the same face or boundary. It cannot cross boundaries. For example, a cut across the entire face or different levels (such as a raised edge) would create a boundary and separate faces, preventing the pattern from propagating.

Bodies

  Bodies Enables Bodies options.
Solid/Surface Bodies to Pattern Creates the pattern by using the bodies that you select in a multibody part.

Reference Geometry

Reference Plane or Reference Axis to Pattern

 Creates the pattern by using the plane or axis that you select.
Limitations:
  • If a plane contains a sketch, the plane pattern does not pattern the sketch.
  • A pattern can contain one reference geometry entity only, either one plane or one axis.

Instances to Skip

Instances to Skip Skips the pattern instances that you select in the graphics area when you are creating the pattern. The pointer changes to when you hover over each pattern instance. Click to select a pattern instance. The coordinates of the pattern instance appear. To restore a pattern instance, click the instance again.

Feature Scope

Apply features to one or more multibody parts by selecting Geometry pattern under Options, and using Feature Scope to choose which bodies can include the feature.
You must create the model that you want to add the features for multibody parts before you add those features.
Cut extrude feature applied to all multibody parts Cut extrude feature using the circular pattern applied to single body Cut extrude feature using the circular pattern applied to all bodies
  All bodies Applies the feature to all bodies every time the feature regenerates. If you add bodies to the model that are intersected by the feature, these new bodies are regenerated to include the feature.
  Selected bodies Applies the feature to the bodies that you select. If you add bodies to the model that are intersected by the feature, you must use Edit Feature to edit the pattern feature, select those bodies, and to add them to the list of selected bodies. If you do not add the new bodies to the list of selected bodies, they remain intact.
  Auto-select (Available if you click Selected bodies) When you create a model with multibody parts, the feature automatically processes all the relevant intersecting parts. Auto-select is faster than All bodies because it processes only the bodies on the initial list and does not regenerate the entire model. If you click Selected bodies and clear Auto-select, you must select the bodies in the graphics area that you want to include.
Bodies to Affect (Available if you clear Auto-select) Select the bodies to affect in the graphics area.

Options

Vary sketch Allows the pattern to change as it repeats.
Geometry pattern Creates the pattern using only the geometry (faces and edges) of the features, rather than patterning and solving each instance of the feature. Geometry pattern speeds up the creation and rebuilding of the pattern. You cannot create geometry patterns of features that have faces merged with the rest of the part.
Propagate visual properties Propagates SOLIDWORKS colors, textures, and cosmetic thread data to all pattern instances.
Full preview Displays a preview of the computed geometry at each pattern instance location that includes the start and end conditions.
Partial preview Displays a preview of the seed feature geometry at each pattern instance location.

Instances to Vary

This option is available only when you select a feature for the pattern instance.

Direction 1 Increments

Spacing Increment Cumulatively increments the spacing between the centers of the pattern instances.

For example, if the spacing between instances in the pattern is 1.5mm, and you enter .3mm for Spacing Increment, then the second instance is positioned 1.8mm from the first, the third instance is positioned 2.1mm from the second, the fourth instance is positioned 2.4mm from the third, and so forth.
  Choose Feature dimensions to vary in Direction 1 Displays dimensions of the seed feature in a table. In the graphics area, click the dimensions of the seed feature to display and populate the table. Adding a value in the Increment column can increase or decrease the size and shape of the feature dimension.

Modified Instances

Lists the individual instances that have been modified.

To modify an individual instance, left-click the instance marker in the graphics area, select Modify Instance. You can enter values to override the spacing and dimensions in the callout.

To remove a modified instance, right-click the instance in the box and click Delete. You can remove all modified instances by right-clicking in the box and clicking Clear All.