Drawing Multiple Angled Holes In bock

[DanMcManus2492]

I need to create a adaptor to go from one 96 hole array pattern to a smaller 96 hole array pattern.  The pattern gets smaller in both X and Y.  This would go from vertical hole to angled hole back to vertical hole.  One or both of the vertical sections could be removable to allow this to be a drilled part.  The center section would be a solid block. 

Since each hole will be at a different angle (in two different planes) it seems like I would need to create a seperate plane for each hole and extrude from that plane.  In addition to being error prone, this would take a large amount of time.  Is there an easier way? 

It would be straight forward to create a block with points for the large 96 hole array on top and the small 96 hole array on the bottom.  Is there some kind of point to point method of creating a hole at an angle?  A construction line could be drawn point to point but is there a way to make a hole from that?

[DanMcManus2492]

I can sort of grasp what you are pointing out.  As they move out from center, the holes travel further on an angle so the centers will be further apart.  In this case the angles are small so the error appears acceptable. 

[VdVeek]

When learning about the iCopy options, i thought of this thread. It's difficulte to explane but with iCopy you can create a perfect part with holes in multiple angles with even spacing.
In simple steps it works like this:
Create an iCopy part with an extrude that has the shape of the hole.
Then create a part with only the top and bottom pattern of Workpoints.
Now place the iCopy-part in an assembly where the Pattern-Part is and use the feature pattern to constrain the iCopy to the workpoints patterns. You now have an inverted-holes file.

Create the part with the final shape of the product and derive the icopy-assembly in this part file.

The final step is to combine the 2 solids to cut the iCopy-assembly in the base.

Maybe you can use this in the feature.

Rob.

[DanMcManus2492]

"Place a work Axis with the option: 'Normal to Axis throug point'"...Is there a way to use options in 2010? I'm just trying different clicking until I ge the result I'm after.

[DanMcManus2492]

I'm doing this again with a shorter block and therefore bigger angles.  The first rotational pattern of 12 holes look good.  When I pattern the 12 holes 8 times in the other direction, the holes move around oddly.  Is this the error mentioned?  I got this result when simply changing the block in the original model.  I started from scratch and once again got this result.

[graemev]

Yes, that's the error increasing at broader angles.  The faces of the block intersecting the circular pattern form a conic section.  Even the primary circular pattern doesn't yield equal spacing of the center points.  If you are going to have o-ring seats in the block faces you can likely get away with some degree of error as each hole will still stay within the contact I.D. of the o-ring.  Failing that, it's going to be a one-by-one job.  If that's the case, it may be simpler to lay out work points on the two faces, make work axes through pairs of work points, make a work plane on each axis and do a revolve-cut for each hole.  Just remember to make the sketch reach past the work points for a full penetration at each end.