Cutting Components after an Array

[Anonymous]

I have an array of components that I want to trim to a specific sketch.

In link, this is the last feature in the tree.  If slide back one feature, you can see the array then forward it trims them weird.  You can see the profiles that I want to trim to, but the result is not as expected.

http://a360.co/2lQxv7o

Can anyone help please?

The only solution I am going to try, is to roll back and create the bars as bodies, then move/Array/cut them to shape.

Am I on the right track?

[paul.clauss]

Hi @Anonymous

Thanks for posting! I had a look at your file and am unsure of what profiles you are using to trim. The last timeline feature in the linked file was a circular pattern, which appears to be working properly. 

I am happy to have a look into this issue! Please attach some screenshots or a screencast clarifying the problem and I will continue troubleshooting. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Perhaps I shared the wrong versions inadvertently.

http://a360.co/2kyM5zo

You can see the screen shots that I've shared with you in regards to the profiles selected and the result.

[paul.clauss · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous

Thanks for sending the file over! I was able to have a look into this issue and have some thoughts to share.

The results you were experiencing are due to the original "2.5 Bar" component being instanced in your component pattern. Component patterns create instances of a component, which are linked to the original component they were patterned from. Instanced components are linked to the original component they are created from - so when a change is made to the first instance, the same change will be made to all of its instances.

You can see when components are instanced in the design timeline. For example, instances of an original component, say "2.5 Bar:1" will appear as "2.5 Bar:2," 2.5 Bar:3," "2.5 Bar:4"....You can recognize instanced components by noting that the component name to the left of the colon is identical. The number to the right of the colon shows the instance of the original component - "2.5 Bar:3" would be the third instance of the component "2.5 Bar."

One thing to note is that the Paste command will create an instance of a copied component, while the Paste New command will create a new copy. A new copy created with Paste New from "2.5 Bar (1):1" will appear as "2.5 Bar (2):1," as it is the first instance of a unique component. 2.5 Bar (2):1 will then not be linked to 2.5 Bar (1):1.

In your design, the component instances were created when you patterned the original 2.5 Bar component. I found that by patterning bodies instead of components I was able to get the extruded cut to work properly, as the components were no longer instances and the bodies were cut based on the extruded geometries effect on their own geometry, based on individual position. This addressed the error in your file - the unexpected results you experienced were actually due to the cut being made by the extruded geometry on the first instance being applied to each instance. I have shown this technique in the screencast below.

Hopefully this helps! Please let me know if you have any questions.

In short, you are on the correct track with a workflow of rolling back, creating the bars as bodies, and then moving, arraying, and cutting them! Instanced components are why doing so is necessary in this situation.

[paul.clauss]

I also wanted to include this simple example showing instanced components and the paste vs. paste new commands: