rectangular pattern over a distance

[bengee5454]

I'm sure there is a way to do this but just cant figure out how!

I've got a pallet of a fixed length. Upon this shelf I would like to arrange pipes (equal OD, laying flat and pointing in the same direction - for packing purposes).

The OD can be changed and the gap between the pipes can be altered.

What I'm trying to achieve is to automatically fill the shelf with pipes when you change the OD.

I think this is possible with the rectangular pattern optimized/identical/adjust option.

Any help would be appreciated.

[blandb]

Hello,

I think this might be what you are looking at trying to do. Please see the attached video. Set pattern to distance.

[SteveMDennis]

Ben,

 While the video attached here shows a feature pattern I assume you are talking about using a component pattern in an assembly to lay the pipes right?

If so a very similar way can accomplish it, use equations for the number of occurrences as well as the spacing.

Number of occurrences can be = floor(total distance / (spacing + pipe_diam)) or something similar to that.

[blandb]

The feature pattern of the part would then be used for the feature based pattern in the assembly environment.

please see attached video.

[SteveMDennis]

@blandb

Of course!  Didn't think of that initially, your workflow is very valuable if his pipes are "laid" down in troughs like that...

But equations could be used to just see how many fit in the box with this spacing, etc. without the overhead of the feature pattern.

[Curtis_Waguespack]

Hi ben.gee,

You gotta' hit that with some iLogic.

See attached 2015 example files.

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

[Mark.Lancaster]

@Curtis_Waguespack

I didn't know you knew iLogic?

Or that's right you have an app for every Inventor situation..  You are the Inventor (Staples) easy button... 

[bengee5454]

Thanks Curtis,

That's exactly what I needed.

We are trying to establish how many pipes can be transported - I could have calculated the boring way, or I could use Inventor/illogic....I chose the latter!

[op_thorsager]

Hello Curtis, 

I know this is an old post, but i was wondering if there is a way to set up parameters for a pattern with a fixed spacing linked to the length of an underlying constrained object, so when i change the length, the pattern will add extra components if there is enough space for it. 

Im currently working on a  project where there is a front panel which can be any height. Behind the frontpanel i have crossbars for every 650mm. I want the crossbars to fit within the length of my frontpanel, but still maintain the 650mm spacing. 

Lets say i have a frontpanel with the length of 1400 mm, here there would be enough space for two crossbars, but if i change the length to 2000 mm, then i want it to automatically add extra crossbars without having to change patternvalues. how would i do this?

[torbjorn_heglum2 · Accepted solution]

There is an old thread on this:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/creating-a-pattern-with-conditions/m-p/7773052

This regards a feature pattern of a part. If you cannot manage it directly as an assembly pattern, you can create the pattern in your front panel (for example of workpoints), and use it associativily in the assembly.

Torbjørn 

[op_thorsager]

I figured it out by dumbing it down for myself. Instead of trying to use parameters to define the last part spacing from previous part, i just subtracted everything with "1", inserted same part as used in pattern, then manually constrained it to the location i wanted it to be at. now everything works as i want it to. 

basically it will now place a crossbar for every 600, but the last one will be removed to prevent placement without the ability to attatch it to anything. I was using ceil function insteald of floor, which fixed the "adapting" dimensions problem i had. current code is linked to fixed user parameters, and some linked parameters from an excel sheet. 

code ended up looking as followed: floor(( ( VeneerH01 - CrossH - 2 mm ) / CrossDistanceAdjust )) + 1 ul

i dont know why, but if its set to "-1" instead of "+1" ul in the end, then it adds an extra crossbar, but atleast it works as inteded now 😛