Create circular patterns of components

What's New: 2023.2, 2024

  1. Place one or more components in an assembly file.
  2. On the ribbon, click Assemble tab Pattern panel Pattern
  3. In the browser or graphics window, select one or more components to pattern.
  4. To specify an axis, number, orientation, and placement, click the Circular tab:
    • Click an edge, work axis, cylindrical face, or expand the flyout and select an origin axis to indicate the Rotation Axis. Click Flip to change the axis direction, if needed. Click Midplane to pattern in two directions from the selected component.
    • Enter the count (number of features) for the arc or circle and the angular spacing.
    • Select the pattern orientation:
      • Select Rotational if you want the body or feature set to change orientation as it moves around the axis.
      • Select Fixed if you want the orientation of the body or feature set to be identical to the parent selection as it moves around the axis.

        Optionally, select Base Point and then select a vertex or point to redefine the Fixed pattern base point.

    • Select the positioning method:
      • Incremental. Defines the spacing between features. You specify the number of occurrences in the pattern and the angle. The total area occupied by the pattern is calculated.
      • Fitted. Uses the angle to define the total area the patterned features cover. You specify the number of occurrences and the total angle. Spacing between occurrences is calculated. If the design is likely to change, use Fitted positioning, because the spacing of occurrences updates according to design intent.
    • Apply assembly relationships to position individual components as needed.

  5. To associate component patterns with feature patterns, click the Associative tab:
    • Click the selection arrow. In the graphics window, select an occurrence of a feature in a pattern.
    • Components are patterned relative to the placement and spacing of the feature pattern. Changes made to the feature pattern automatically update the number and spacing of the components in the assembly pattern. Relationships associated with the patterned component are replicated and honored in the assembly pattern.