Pattern on curve in assembly

[Gribble]

Hey guys,

for my uni project im building an autonomous tank robot that needs to negotiate a maze.

Anyway im having trouble puitting together the tank track arrangement in Assembly mode. My teacher thinks you can use the pattern along curve function but he isnt 100% certain.

Ive drawn the sketch and imported the part into the mode, i just cannot get it to work, not even get the pattern along curve button to become active!

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
-Gribble-

 

[donyoung]

Hi,

'pattern along curve' is active only when you've created an
assembly feature i.e. a hole/cutout created within the
assembly. You may sketch your curve as an assembly sketch(!)
put a hole/protrusion at one end and then you'll be able
to use that feature.
Or you create the pattern along curve within the part itself
for example a hole pattern. This pattern can be used in an
assembly as usual

dy

 

[Gribble]

I could pattern it in part mode but part of the prerequsite for the project is that the entire assembly needs to be less than 1.5mb. If i use the part, which is one tank track, and pattern that along a curve will it greatly increase the part file size or does it use the one set of geometry for the part and replicate it along the sketch line? I'll try it on my home computer later tonight to see what difference there is in file size between one single track and the track patterned along a curve.

Thanks for your help.