Configurable Patterning

[Bryan O]

I work with panels with cams and dowels.
I would like to pattern the cam and dowels (green and magenta) along the X axis
The Cam hole (green) should be configurable along the the blue face with the last hole of the pattern symmetrical about the YZ and 2" off the red face
The dowel (magenta) could be mirrored about the YZ.

I've tried sketch patterns. They work until you change the count of your pattern and then it becomes difficult to create the symmetry.
I've tried feature patterns. I love the "up to reference" but if I try to keep things the tree clean (using 3d sketches) I have to pattern the surfaces and I get an error that the geometry is too complex.

I like to keep my feature tree as clean as possible. I 've come to like 3d sketches but I'm not tied to the idea.
I also like to make things as modifiable for other without being overcomplicated.

I'm sure a lot of people do things similar and was curious how others might handle this.

[Glenn Schroeder]

In my somewhat humble opinion you're placing too much emphasis on "I like to keep my feature tree as clean as possible." Your patterning would be much simpler if you don't have holes on multiple faces with a single feature.

While it's nice to have a clean, simple tree, it should be secondary to efficient modeling. For another example, I often have stand-alone sketches to drive Hole Wizard features.

[DennisD]

In my somewhat humble opinion you're placing too much emphasis on "I like to keep my feature tree as clean as possible." Your patterning would be much simpler if you don't have holes on multiple faces with a single feature.

While it's nice to have a clean, simple tree, it should be secondary to efficient modeling. For another example, I often have stand-alone sketches to drive Hole Wizard features.

I agree with @Glenn Schroeder. A good model is far superior to one with the shortest possible feature tree.

What makes a "good" model? There is no objective measure of how good a model is, but a good indication is how easily someone else can work with your file. All of these things stated below not only help the person using your files, but help you to use it as well, especially after you've been away from the file for a while.

If you really want a "clean" feature tree then:
a) Name the features upon creation (because nobody really goes back to name them later)
b) Group features into named folders if necessary/helpful
c) If using configurations in an assembly then also name important mates or ones involved in suppression states

FWIW, feature patterns are far easier to work with than sketch patterns.

[jcapriotti]

In my early days of SolidWorks ('98), my thoughts were the same....create the smallest, simplest feature tree. This turned out to be not the best way to go about it as Dennis and Glenn already mentioned. I could spend a day teaching nothing but best practices of feature building and relations...when to use layout sketches and more horizontal modeling techniques......then we could spend another day arguing over it.

[DennisD]

In my early days of SolidWorks ('98), my thoughts were the same....create the smallest, simplest feature tree. This turned out to be not the best way to go about it as Dennis and Glenn already mentioned. I could spend a day teaching nothing but best practices of feature building and relations...when to use layout sketches and more horizontal modeling techniques......then we could spend another days arguing over it.

FIFY.

[jcapriotti]

FIFY.

I think you mean weeks....or was it months?

[picturedrawerGSS]

To answer your question, have you considered modeling 1/4 of the part and mirroring? (that may break hole wizard features, I don't use em)

[Bryan O]

Thank you all for your input.
I took @DennisD and @Glenn Schroeder comments to heart.
I simplified (my opinion) the model. Removed the 3d sketches, added reference geometry, and patterned those.
I then gave a sample to a design with less experience and asked if he understood it and could modify it.
He gave it the thumbs up.

If your interested, I attached the new and improved.

[Glenn Schroeder]

If you'd like to simplify it (and have a shorter tree, which you said you like), you could delete the features the screenshot shows as suppressed, then mirror the patterns. Something similar would work in most of the other folders.

[XHawkeye]

Learned something, up to reference in the linear pattern command. I've been using equations to determine the spacing.

[Bryan O]

Learned something, up to reference in the linear pattern command. I've been using equations to determine the spacing.

Been using that more and more!
That's why the reference geometry. I wanted both features equal distance from the end (the 2" in the sketch (mirrored)) and then a configurable pattern to the reference sketch.

[Bryan O]

If you'd like to simplify it (and have a shorter tree, which you said you like), you could delete the features the screenshot shows as suppressed, then mirror the patterns. Something similar would work in most of the other folders.

This is going to be used as a panel template so those features will be either on, off, or deleted if not used.
I love Purge Unused Features.

[Bryan O]

Also found that using using feature driven patter in assembly, using a configured pattern, will change the instance count based on the part pattern!
Pretty convenient.

[Glenn Schroeder]

Learned something, up to reference in the linear pattern command. I've been using equations to determine the spacing.

Don't feel bad. I've been using SW full-time since 2009, and I just started using "Up to Reference" maybe 5 years ago. I hate to think of how much time I've wasted editing patterns after the model dimensions changed.

Also found that using using feature driven patter in assembly, using a configured pattern, will change the instance count based on the part pattern!
Pretty convenient.

You can also use Hole Wizard features to drive Pattern Driven Component Patterns, and if the instance count or the position of the holes changes, the pattern will update accordingly.

[Dwight]

I much prefer using Hole Wizard for an entire set of holes, as opposed to creating one hole and making a feature pattern, as you have in your example. A sketch pattern in a Hole Wizard feature puts the set of holes into one feature, where all dimensions may be edited together, and it drives a hole callout in a drawing with the count.

If you do not like using sketch patterns, take a look at this video:



Dwight