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In this task, you are going to
create circular
cutouts according to a pattern.
These features make the creation process easier. |
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You can only duplicate the following items:
- cutouts
- holes
- beads
- flanges
- flanged holes
- stamps (except stiffening ribs)
- Aerospace Sheetmetal Design patterns
These features must lie on a unique and planar
surface.
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Open the
CircularPatterns1.CATPart document. |
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Select the circular cutout you want to duplicate.
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Click Circular Pattern
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The Circular Pattern Definition dialog box is
displayed. |
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Define the Axial Reference by choosing the
Parameters type, and reference direction.
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- Instance(s) & total angle: the number of patterns as
specified in the instances field are created, in the specified
direction, and evenly spread out over the total angle.
- Instance(s) & angular spacing: the number of
patterns as specified in the instances field are created in the
specified direction, each separated from the previous/next one of
the angular angle value.
- Angular spacing & total angle: as many patterns as
possible are created over the total angle, each separated from the
previous/next one of the angular angle value.
- Complete crown: the number of patterns as specified
in the instances field are created over the complete circle
(360deg).
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If you set Instance(s) & total angle or Angular
spacing & total angle parameters, note that you cannot define
the length by using formulas. |
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Click the Reference element and select the element
defining the rotation axis.
Here select the face on which lies the circular
cutout. |
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- To define a direction, you can select an edge or a planar face.
Should you select the face of a web, the rotation axis would be
normal to that face.
- Click the Reverse button to inverse the rotation
direction.
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Now you are going to add a crown to this pattern.
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Click the Crown Definition
tab, and choose which parameters you wish to define the crown.
This figure may help you define these parameters:
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- Circle(s) and crown thickness: you define the number of circles and
they are spaced out evenly over the specified crown thickness
- Circle(s) and circle spacing: you define the number of circles and
the distance between each circle, the crown thickness being computed
automatically
- Circle(s) spacing and crown thickness: you define the distance
between each circle and the crown thickness, and the number of circles is
automatically computed.
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For example, using the values described above for the Angular
spacing & total angle option, you could define the crown as:
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Note that one of the pattern goes beyond the flange
(this can be checked using the preview). You
can delete instances of your choice when creating or editing a pattern.
To do so, just select the points materializing instances in the pattern
preview.
The instance is deleted, but the point remains, as you may wish to
click it again to add the instance to the pattern definition again.
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Click the More>> button to display further
options:
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Using these options, you can change the position of the
selected cutout within the crown. For example, if you set the Row in
angular direction parameter to 4, this is what you obtain: the
initially selected cutout is the fourth instance, based on the rotation
direction, of the pattern.
Typically, in this case, you might want to edit the pattern
and click again the instance that you removed above, to get a full pattern.
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- The Simplified representation option lets you lighten
the pattern geometry, when more than 10 instances are generated in
one direction. What you need to do is just check the option, and
click Preview. The system automatically simplifies the geometry:
You can also specify the instances you do not want to see by
double-clicking them . These instances are then represented in dashed
lines during the pattern definition and then are no longer visible
after validating the pattern creation. The specifications remain
unchanged, whatever the number of instances you view. This option is
particularly useful for patterns including a large number of
instances.
- When checking the Radial alignment of instances, all
instances have the same orientation as the original feature. When
unchecked, all instances are normal to the lines tangent to the
circle.
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Click OK to create the pattern.
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- When you duplicate a pattern of flange, the edge of the flange
spine and its instances have to be tangent to the wall edge: you
cannot choose a direction of patterning not parallel to the flange
spine.
- All instances of the flange pattern must lie on the same face
as the flange pattern.
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