Create rectangular, circular, and sketch-driven patterns using the property panel. The property panel provides selection and geometry options based on the selected pattern type, selection modes, and direction selectors to specify the position of the pattern.
What's New: 2023.2, 2025, 2026
Key Concepts
The Pattern property panel has a tool palette that is docked to the side. You can drag it away and detach the two if so desired. To reconnect them, click-and-drag one near the other and when the blue edge appears release the mouse button. When the cursor is near the property panel the side where the tool palette will snap is highlighted.
The tool palette enables you to select a pattern type and change selection filter priorities (feature, or solid body).
When a value conflicts with other aspects of the feature warning badges appear in the property panel and HUD. Hover the cursor over the badge to view the tooltip information.
The Rectangular Pattern tool duplicates features, solids or bodies and arranges the results in a rectangular pattern, along a path, or bidirectionally from the original feature.
Click 3D Model tab Pattern panel
Rectangular Pattern
.
In the tool palette, specify what you want to pattern:
In the property panel, the geometry selector is immediately active. You can begin selecting one or more features or bodies to include in the pattern. For parts, you can also select work features and surface features to include in the pattern.
Align selected features in a pattern of rows and columns by specifying the following:
Direction Selects the direction in which to add occurrences. Direction arrow originates at the selection point. Path can be a 2D or 3D line, arc, spline, trimmed ellipse, edge, cylindrical face, or an Origin axis. Path can be an open or closed loop.
Midplane Creates a pattern where the occurrences are distributed on both sides of the original feature. For rectangular patterns, you can use Midplane independently for either direction (Direction 1, Direction 2).
Number Specifies the number of occurrences in the column or linear path. Must be greater than zero.
Distribution Specifies how distance is measured.
Distance Specifies spacing or distance between occurrences or distance the column or row spans. A negative value can be entered to create a pattern in the opposite direction.
If desired, click to add a member with an irregular distance.
Pattern features within a boundary. The boundary option is only available in part modeling.
Boundary. Click to select a face or a profile that defines the boundary. You can change the boundary at any time, whether face or profile, or no longer use the boundary by deselecting it.
Offset. Offsets the selected boundary creating a keepout area between the boundary line and the offset line. There are three options for patterning inside a boundary. These are:
If patterning a solid, choose an operation:
Optimized. Creates identical copies of selected features by patterning feature faces. Optimized is the fastest compute method. Limitations are the inability to create overlapping occurrences, or occurrences that intersect different faces than the faces of the original features. When possible, speeds up the pattern compute.
Identical. Creates identical copies of selected features by replicating the results of original features. When the Optimized method is not possible, use for identical features.
Adjust. Creates potentially differing copies of selected features by patterning features and calculating extents or terminations of each pattern occurrence individually. Computation time is lengthy for patterns with large numbers of occurrences. Preserves design intent by allowing pattern occurrences to adjust based on feature extent or termination conditions, such as a feature that terminates on a model face. Not available for patterns of solid part bodies in an open or surface state.
Click OK.
The Circular Pattern command arranges occurrences of selected features or bodies into an arc or circular pattern. It duplicates one or more features or bodies and arranges the resulting occurrences by a specific count and spacing in an arc or circle.
Click 3D Model tab Pattern panel
Circular Pattern
.
In the tool palette, specify what you want to pattern:
In the property panel, the geometry selector is immediately active. You can begin selecting one or more features or bodies to include in the pattern. For parts, you can also select work features and surface features to include in the pattern.
Align selected features in a pattern of rows and columns by specifying the following:
Direction Select the axis (pivot point of angle) about which occurrences should repeat. The axis can be on a different plane from the feature being patterned.
Midplane Distributes the feature occurrences on both sides of the original feature, which is typically created in a centered location. When the occurrence count is even, use Flip to determine which side gets the extra occurrence.
Count Specifies the number of occurrences in the pattern.
Distribution: Specifies how angle is measured.
Angle Angular spacing between occurrences depends on the positioning method. If you select Incremental positioning, the angle specifies the angular spacing between occurrences. If you choose Fitted positioning, the angle specifies the total area the pattern occupies. Enter a negative value to create a pattern in the opposite direction.
Orientation: Specifies the orientation of the pattern.
Rotational Select if you want the body or feature set to change orientation as it moves around the axis.
Fixed Select 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.
If desired, click to add a member with an irregular angle.
Pattern features within a boundary. The boundary option is only available in part modeling.
Boundary. Click to select a face or a profile that defines the boundary. You can change the boundary at any time, whether face or profile, or no longer use the boundary by deselecting it.
Offset. Offsets the selected boundary creating a keepout area between the boundary line and the offset line. There are three options for patterning inside a boundary. These are:
If patterning a solid, choose an operation:
Set the creation method of the patterned features:
Click OK.
These are points to remember when using patterns that are limited to a boundary.
The Sketch Driven Pattern command arranges occurrences of a feature or body on 2D or 3D sketch points. It duplicates one or more features or bodies and arranges the resulting occurrences in a pattern defined by the sketch points.
Create sketch points in a 2D or 3D sketch on your model and arrange them in the required pattern.
Click 3D Model tab Pattern panel
Sketch Driven
.
In the tools palette, specify what you want to pattern:
In the property panel, the geometry selector is immediately active. You can begin selecting one or more features or bodies to include in the pattern. For parts, you can also select work features and surface features to include in the pattern.
If there is more than one sketch or the sketch is invisible, select the sketch to use.
Specify the placement:
Sketch Point Select a 2D or 3D sketch to get all center points.
Base Point Select a vertex or point to change the occurrence origin.
Orientation: Specify the orientation of the pattern.
If patterning a solid, choose an operation:
Set the creation method of the patterned features:
Click OK.
The Mirror command makes a reverse copy of one or more features, an entire solid, or a new body at equal distances across a plane. Use a workplane an existing planar face for the mirror plane.
Do one of the following:
In the Mirror dialog box, specify what you want to mirror:
Mirror Individual Features . Selects solid features, work features, and surface features to mirror. If selected features have dependent features, they are automatically selected. In assemblies, you can mirror only sketched features. You cannot mirror:
Mirror a Solid . Selects part bodies. Allows you to optionally include work and surface features in the selection.
In the graphics window or in the browser, select the feature or features to mirror.
In the Mirror dialog box, click Mirror Plane and then select a workplane or planar face to use as the mirror plane. Use Mirror Component on the Assemble tab.
In a multibody part, select Solid and then choose the solid body to receive the mirror feature.
If mirroring a solid, choose an operation and decide if you want to remove the original:
Click More to specify how mirrored features are calculated:
Click OK.
Temporarily suppress the display of work, solid, or surface features in a pattern. Features remain suppressed until you restore them.
Do any of the following:
To suppress or restore visibility of all occurrences of solid features in a pattern, select the pattern icon in the browser, right-click, and choose Suppress or Unsuppress Features.
To suppress or restore visibility of an individual occurrence of a solid feature in a pattern, expand the pattern icon in the browser, select the occurrence, right-click, and choose Suppress, or Unsuppress.
To hide or restore visibility of all work features or surface features in all pattern occurrences, select the pattern icon in the browser, right-click, and choose Hide All Work Features, Show All Work Features, Hide All Surfaces, or Show All Surfaces.
To hide or restore visibility of an individual work or surface feature in a pattern occurrence, expand the pattern icon in the browser, select the occurrence, right-click, and then switch on or off the Visibility option.
When you create a surface, it is transparent and is the same color as a workplane. Use the Transparency option to make surfaces opaque.
Do either of the following:
The Hole feature is a special case. Holes with a Termination of Through All pattern the portion of the solid that is penetrated by the initial feature. If the result is not what you want, change the termination to Distance.