Using design tables to change a circular pattern used for an extrusion
Using design tables to change a circular pattern used for an extrusion
(OP)
I'm sorry this may be a pretty basic question but this problem has had my progress stuck for the last few days. I am using Solidworks to make drawings of pieces of pipe. Each section of pipe has a flange with bolt holes on each side in accordance with ANSI specs. Different sizes, schedules and classes of pipe have a different number of evenly spaced. To do this I was using a circular pattern to position the holes. Is there any way that I can use a design table to adjust the number of holes from pipe to pipe? Thanks.






RE: Using design tables to change a circular pattern used for an extrusion
- - -Updraft
RE: Using design tables to change a circular pattern used for an extrusion
You can create several configurations using the Design Table. Just specify several configuration names and corresponding values for parameter(s) and SolidWorks will automatically generate new configuration with configuration specific parameter values.
Thanks,
Artem Taturevich
CSWP
RE: Using design tables to change a circular pattern used for an extrusion
In SW2006, I was able to set up a DT and make some different Configurations as described which worked fine, but how does one get the instances or number of Holes in the pattern entered into the DT as a variable either by some formula based on relative diameters or hand-entered data?
As an example, the first configuration has 6 holes, how can this be changed to 8 through the DT?
RE: Using design tables to change a circular pattern used for an extrusion
Please refer to the SolidWorks Help files and the Tutorial for Design Tables. You will answer this and many other questions by going through this great resource.
The short answer is to make another configuration of your part where the number of instances in the pattern is different as well as any other changes the configuration might possibly have. When you go to edit the DT you will likely be shown that there is a new configuration and there are several new items that vary from other configurations. By selecting them they will be added to your DT. This is the fast and easy way, but the Help and Tutorial will tell you how to have more control over the DT and its construction.
- - -Updraft
RE: Using design tables to change a circular pattern used for an extrusion
I did read about Table Driven Pattern, but this seems to be a complicated way to change the number of holes from 6 to 8.
What am I missing here?
RE: Using design tables to change a circular pattern used for an extrusion
If you have SW2008 or later DriveWorksXpress will allow you to automate the creation of new drawings.
RE: Using design tables to change a circular pattern used for an extrusion
Actually, I was referring to the ability to add a parameter, such as the number of instances, to the DT. If you double-click on your pattern and can see the number of instances in your model then select it and on the left of your screen you will see several items related to that dimension. One of these is the Primary Value box. In it you will see the dimension name, such as D1@LocalLPattern1, and below that its value or the number of instances. If you copy the dimension name (D1@LocalLPattern1 or whatever)you can then edit the DT and paste that dimension name as a new column and populate it with manually input values or values computed using Excel functions. This is the manual method and a bit of a PITA, but it works.
The easier, automated method is to manually create different configurations of your part, say, one with 3 and the other with 4 holes, then when you edit the DT you should be prompted to add the new configurations and the parameters that are different. Have you tried this?
- - -Updraft
P.S. This only works for a seed feature and a feature pattern. Using a sketch pattern the number of instances is non-parametric and is therefore not a controllable dimension. As a result I don't see much value in a sketch pattern and don't use it.
RE: Using design tables to change a circular pattern used for an extrusion
RE: Using design tables to change a circular pattern used for an extrusion
Thnx
RE: Using design tables to change a circular pattern used for an extrusion
RE: Using design tables to change a circular pattern used for an extrusion
-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)