Creating random length bars in user parameters does not work when patterning

[nkloski]

Ok, so I have set up a "random' number generator (don't mind the red lines):

...and it indeed does create random numbers.  For instance, I can create a box with two dimensions set, and the third created by the random number parameter (in this case it was just over 23mm):

...but the problem is, is that it sets itself as a number when I click enter, and does not exist as a user parameter any more.  I want to create a circular pattern , but when I go to do so, that 23ish number is the set one, and even doing "circular pattern of FEATURES" it does not create anything other than replicas of the first instance.  I would think that the "pattern features" would copy the user parameter, and not the actual value?

Compute all does not work either..it seems like the dimension is set once and never recalculated?

[TrippyLighting]

I believe you are looking at a bug here, or rather a really shoddy implementation of user interface functionality.

Instead of putting the user parameter into the numeric field right by the box primitive place it n the dialogue box.

This has been reported many times is present in almost all primitive shapes and still has not been fixed!

[jeff_strater]

I think I get what you are trying to do @nkloski.  The problem is not what @TrippyLighting describes, because you can work around that by using Extrude.

What you want to happen, is, in the pattern compute, for Fusion to re-evaluate the distance of the Extrude for each instance.  I tried it, and it doesn't work.  I'm not too surprised, pattern wasn't really designed to work like that (it would be very inefficient in most cases).  Fusion computes the values of all parameters at the beginning of the compute cycle.  There is not an instance of each parameter for each instance of the pattern that exists and can be computed independently.

I tried another approach - to pattern the sketch and create an Extrude for each sketch pattern instance.  You do get the random effect this way:

But that, of course, is tedious to create.

That's about the best I can come up with on a Saturday morning

Jeff

[TrippyLighting]

@jeff_strater I know what he's trying to do but the problem is two fold.

1. UI mess - I covered that.

2. Calculation of random number at beginning of compute cycle - you covered that.