inventor pattern of an occurence

[Joe_Banger]

Hi, I have a rectangular pattern, which gives me the original and several occurences of the object. i want to make a 'sub pattern' with one of the occurences (i.e. use one of the occurences as the master for a new pattern). I cannot do this as when i click on rectangular pattern, it will only let me select the entire first pattern, not just the single occurence. any help would be creamily appreciated.

[Namoi1]

right click on the element and select independent (the parts will move out of the pattern, above it in the browser), then you can use it, but the they won't be constrained.

[pcrawley]

Ditto the previous response.  But - are you talking sketch-patterns, or component patterns?

With component patterns, just remember that when you mark an element as "Independant" it becomes an unconstrained instance of the part.

"creamily appreciated" - should we be worried?!

[Joe_Banger]

Hi, I'm having trouble finidng the 'independent' button. Mind you i'm working in a part, not an assembly! I wish to do the above within a part.

[Joe_Banger]

Worried? Sorry english is not my first language I wish to say that I a response would be appreciated like one appreciates cream.

[pcrawley]

Your ability to write in your second language is significantly better than my ability to write in my first language!

"Make independent" really only applies in the assembly environment.  

In a part, you have access to two pattern types; Sketch pattern and Feature pattern.  

• In a sketch pattern you can use "suppress element" which prevents the patterned sketch object(s) from being used to create a feature (just like construction geometry).  
• A feature patterns allows you to suppress selected "Occurrence(s)"

When you think about this, the ability to make either of the above "independent" does not really make much sense because an independent occurrence is just another sketch object, of part feature.

If the sketch you are patterning is complicated, then turn the shape(s) into a block before you pattern it.  Now you can place further independent instances of that block in other areas of your part knowing that editing the block will update everything.

In the case of a feature pattern where your pattern contains more than one feature, you can always use the little-known function of copy & paste.  With things like sketched features you can copy & paste them onto other faces of your model.  When you do the Paste function, there's an option for making the resulting feature dependant on (or independent of) the one you copied.  (Remember that copy & paste does not work on placed features - only sketch-based features.)

Hope this helps.

[cwhetten]

Depending on what you are trying to pattern, there my be a wacky workaround using multi-solid techniques.

If you are patterning a feature that adds new material (i.e. a Join type feature), you could edit the feature so that instead of Join, it creates a new solid:

Then, when you create the pattern, pattern the solid instead of the feature.  Set the pattern to create new solids, rather than joining them to the base solid:

Finally, create the second pattern (again, a pattern of solids rather than features) and choose the intermediate element as your base.  It's odd, but it works:

Again, this only works if you are patterning a feature (not a sketch element), and if your feature adds new material (rather than cutting or intersecting material).  Actually, now that I think about it, you could do it for a cutting or intersecting feature too, it would just be more steps to get the end result.

Will this work for you?

Cameron Whetten
Inventor 2014

Please click "Accept as Solution" if this response answers your question.

[Namoi1]

Cameron

You've got me very interested, how would you make it work for a cutting feature?

Joe, sorry my bad need to read more accurately