SolidWorks 2010 Bible

Chapter 8: Patterning and Mirroring

FIGURE 8.5

The Dynamic Mirror centerline with hatch marks

Sketch patterns are also unavailable in the 3D sketch, but you can use the Move, Rotate, and Copy

sketch tools on planes in 3D sketches. Combining one questionable functionality (3D sketches)

with another (sketch patterns) does not usually improve either one.

Exploring the Geometry Pattern Option

The SolidWorks Help file says that the Geometry Pattern option in feature patterns results in a

faster pattern because it does not pattern the parametric relations. This claim is valid only when

there is an end condition on the patterned feature such that the feature will actually pattern the

end condition’s parametric behavior. The part shown in Figure 8.6 falls into this category. The

improved rebuild time goes from .30 to .11 seconds. Although a 60 percent reduction is significant,

the most compelling argument for the use of the Geometry Pattern has nothing to do with rebuild

time. It is to avoid the effect of patterning the end-condition parametrics.

In fact, the Geometry Pattern option’s main intent is to pattern existing geometry without the

parametric intelligence. The main mission of Geometry Pattern has nothing to do with rebuild

speed.

Under some conditions, Geometry Pattern will not work. One example is any time a patterned face

merges with a face that cannot be patterned. Figure 8.7 shows two patterns, one that can use

Geometry Pattern and one that cannot.

The pattern of the rectangular feature cannot use Geometry Pattern because the face that is merged

is not merged in all pattern instances. The circular pattern can use Geometry Pattern because the

flat face is merged in every pattern instance. The circular pattern also allows Geometry Pattern for

the same reason.