"Vary sketch" for linear pattern of a feature

[mkmech]

I am trying to linear pattern a extruded cut using the Vary Sketch option, so that the pattern follows an inclined edge. However, the "Vary Sketch" checkbox is disabled in the linear Pattern dialog box. Any suggestions on what I am doing wrong?

Thanks

 

[SBaugh]

Turn that into your VAR... it looks like a bug in SW06 SP1.0

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[mkmech]

I am using SW03. Is that a bug in that version?

 

[SBaugh]

I don't go that far back... it seems to possibly be in SW06.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Have you read the Help file. In SW05 it is very clear.

1) Select feature to be patterned.
2) Select Linear pattern icon. (or Insert, Pattern/Mirror, Linear Pattern.
3) Select the dimension (NOT the edge) along which you want to pattern your feature. (NOT the dimension which controls the variable edge of your feature)
4) Set the linear spacing of the feature.
5) Select Vary Sketch (The preview will disappear)
6) Hit the Enter key or select the green check mark.


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[SBaugh]

OK I feel a little stupid now... I missed that too... I am tired and need sleep and I don't want to hear the phone ring once more... please God... help me.

Thanks CBL!

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Forgot to point out that the Vary Sketch option will remain greyed out till step 3.


Helpful SW websites faq559-520
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[wgchere]

... please God... help me.

This is probably the wrong forum for that request...

 

[valhalla]

Alright,

I'm having a somewhat similar problem and hopefully people will see this. I'm trying to create a part that looks somewhat like a fresnel lens. I have a base rectangular extrude 34" long x 1" tall x 10" deep (I prefer metric, but the optics guys gave me this to work with.)

I need to create a sequence of triangular prisms along the rectangular base. Each prism is 0.04" long on the base (25/inch) so I will have 850 when I'm finished. The first "triangle" has an apex angle of 0 degrees, the next 0.022 degrees, the next 0.043 degrees etc. until the final triangle has an apex angle of 18.4 degrees. All the triangles are right triangles.

To proceed, I built the rectangular extrude. Then I started a second sketch on the plane perpendicular to the face of the rectangle. I drew the last triangle with the 0.04" base and 18.4 degree angle. I drew lines from the apex sequence out to the tip of the triangle. I switched these lines to construction lines and dimensioned the angle. I then constrained the vertex of the small triangle lens to be coincident with the construction lines.

I extruded this and got the lens segment I wanted. I then tried to start my linear pattern and chose the horizontal construction line as my direction, chose 10 instances to start and picked my triangular lens segment as the feature to pattern. The vary sketch option remains greyed out. According to the Solidworks help file, I haven't dimensioned either the height or angle of my final triangle, but the sketch is fully constrained to the construction geometry.

Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?

B

Brian Lewis
The Aerospace Corporation

http://www.aero.org/

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

and chose the horizontal construction line as my direction

Re-read item #3 of my first post, then my second post.


Helpful SW websites faq559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions faq559-1091
faq559-1177

 

[valhalla]

CBL,

It finally clicked. Thanks much for the help. For some reason, when you said click on the dimension, I kept thinking well, its along the x-axis dimension and it finally clicked that you meant the actual dimension. Then I go back and reread the help file and it says the exact same thing. Some days......

Brian

Brian Lewis
The Aerospace Corporation

http://www.aero.org/