Part Pattern

While the circular pattern operation replicates its source parts around the circumference of a circle, the linear pattern operation can replicate parts in a single line or in a two-way grid. You can use the patterned parts to pattern the volume mesh of the source part. See Volume Mesh Pattern.

For every output part that results from a pattern operation, there is a corresponding part added to the Parts folder.

Common controls for both pattern operations are listed below. Controls which are specific to each type of pattern operation are listed in the following sections.


Input Parts	Specifies the parts to pattern.
Coordinate System	Specifies the coordinate system to use when creating the pattern.
Delete Unused Output Parts	When activated, removes any obsolete parts when next executing the operation. Obsolete parts are parts that were created by the pattern operation in a previous execution but which are no longer within the scope of the current pattern settings. For example, if the previous settings returned 50 parts, and the current settings return only 20 parts, the extra 30 parts are removed. To delete unused parts immediately, you can right-click the operation node and select Remove Unused Parts. However, you must activate Delete Unused Output Parts for this action to be part of the pipeline. This property is deactivated by default to preserve downstream associations and to facilitate design studies.
Output Parts	Displays a read-only list of parts that are created by the pattern operation.

Contact Creation for Patterned Parts

Contacts are automatically created for patterned parts if the input parts contain contacts.

For linear patterns, only baffles are propagated to the patterned parts. Contacts are not propagated.

Some modeling scenarios require a collocated copy of input parts with a part contact between them. For example, the dual stream heat exchanger workflow requires this arrangement. You can use a linear pattern for creating a collocated copy of input parts with a part contact between them if the following requirement is satisfied:

The number of copies in one of the directions is set to 2 and the number of copies in the other direction is set to 1. In the direction where the number of copies is set to 1, the distance in that direction must be 0.

For circular patterns, baffles are propagated to the patterned parts. If the input parts have contacts, these contacts are propagated to the cloned parts. If the input parts have periodic contacts, and the periodicity angle matches the angle that you specify or is implicitly computed based on the number of copies, weak In-Place contacts are created.

Periodic contacts are not propagated to the patterned parts in either of the pattern operations.

Linear Pattern Controls

Define the linear pattern using two linear directions extending from the original part. The number of bodies and the distance between them determine the extent of the pattern.


Direction 1	Specifies the direction vectors for the linear pattern. A direction is only relevant when you choose to replicate more than one copy in that direction.
Direction 2
Distance in Direction 1	Specifies the distance between each copy of the source part in the specified direction.
Distance in Direction 2
Copies in Direction 1	Specifies the number of times the source part is replicated in each direction. To have a pattern extend in a single direction only, set the value for the direction that you do not want to extend to 1.
Copies in Direction 2

Circular Pattern Controls

Define the circular pattern using the position and direction of a central axis. Part copies are either distributed evenly around the circumference of the circle, or else spaced according to an angular increment for a certain number of copies.


Axis Direction	Specifies the axis about which the pattern rotates.
Axis Position	Specifies the position of the axis of rotation.
Number of Copies	Specifies the number of copies to make around the axis of rotation.
Distribution	Specifies how the patterned parts are distributed around the axis of rotation. Even—spaces the parts out in an even manner so that the angle between each part is equal. Specified—spaces the parts with an Angular Increment between each.
Angular Increment	Specifies the angle between each output part. This option is available when you set Distribution to Angular Increment. If you set the value in Number of Copies too high, the parts start overlapping after the cull circumference of the circle. In such circumstances, reduce the value of Angular Increment.