User Guide
User Guide
User Guide

Pattern Area

Use it!

Used to pattern an area by tiling the Active Pattern Cell. Elements used to define the area to be patterned can be in the active file, or in references. Where associative patterning is used, any modification to elements defining the patterned area results in an equivalent update to the patterning.

Tool SettingEffect
Icon bar

Determines the area that is patterned.

  • Element
    • — The interior of a shape , ellipse , or closed B-spline curve or between components of a multi-line.
    see footnote 64
  • Flood
    • — The (minimum) area enclosed by a set of elements (something like the flood fill tool common in painting programs).
  • Points
    • — An area defined by a series of data points, each of which defines a vertex.
  • Fence
    • — The area inside the fence.
(Active) Pattern Cell

Lets you key in the name of the cell that is tiled to create the pattern. Optionally, you can click the Browse Cells button to the right of the input field, which opens the Cell Library dialog box to let you browse the cells in the attached library, or you can attach a cell library.

The active Pattern Cell also can be set with the Pattern button in the Cell Library dialog box.

For more information on the Pattern button, see Pattern.

Browse Cells

Opens the Cell Libraries dialog box for purposes of placement of a different active cell.

(Active Pattern) Scale

Sets the factor by which the Active Pattern Cell is scaled.
see footnote 68

Row Spacing

The interval between rows.
see footnote 69

Column Spacing

The interval between columns.

(Active Pattern) Angle

The angle at which instances of the active Pattern Cell are placed. By default, the angle is relative to the view being used. Where AccuDraw is active, however, the angle is relative to the AccuDraw drawing plane.

Tolerance

Maximum distance between a curved element and the approximating line segments used for patterning.

Associative Pattern

If on, patterning is associated with patterned geometry.

  • If Method is set to Element, the patterning is associated with the patterned element and is automatically updated when the patterned element is manipulated or modified.

  • If Method is set to Intersection, Union, or Difference, a complex shape that bounds the patterned area is created, and the patterning is associated with the complex shape. The patterning and the complex shape are automatically updated when the original element(s), used to create the complex shape, are modified or manipulated, only if Associative Region Boundary is also on.
    see footnote 70

Associative Region Boundary

(Associative Pattern on only) If on, patterning can be placed on a level other than the level of the patterned element. If the Method is Intersection, Union, Difference, or Flood, a complex shape that bounds the patterned area is created, and the patterning is associated to the complex shape. If you move or modify the original element(s), used to create the complex shape, the complex shape is updated, along with the patterning.

Snappable Pattern

If on, patterning cells can be snapped to. If off, patterning cells do not interfere with snapping to other elements.

Locate Interior Shapes

(Method set to Flood only) If on, all closed elements (regardless of their Area attributes) inside the selected area are avoided when the area is patterned.

Locate Text

(Method set to Flood only) If on, any text or dimension text inside or overlapping the selected area is avoided when the area is patterned.

Dynamic Area

(Method set to Flood only) If on, the area to be patterned displays dynamically as you move the screen pointer over the shapes.

Alternating Area

(Method set to Flood only, with Locate Interior Shapes on and Dynamic Area off) If on, alternating areas are patterned where shapes are nested inside one another.

Max(imum) Gap

(When Method is set to Flood) The maximum distance, in working units, between the endpoints of enclosing elements.

True Scale

If on, the active pattern cell is scaled to adjust it to the units of the active model. The scaling occurs only if the cell is shared and the units of the model in which the cell was created differ from those of the active model.

Search For Holes

When creating a non-associative pattern, you can ignore hole elements or search for hole elements on the same level as the element to pattern, or on all levels displayed in the view.

Use Element Symbology

If on, a pattern is created using the active color, weight, and style of the element being patterned.

To pattern the area inside a closed element
  1. Select the element.

  2. Select the Pattern Area tool.

  3. Set Method to Element.

  4. Enter a data point to place the origin of one of the pattern cell instances.
    Elements that are inside the selected element and have the Area attribute Hole are patterned as follows:

    If Associative Pattern is

    Then Hole elements inside selected element

    Off

    Are not patterned.

    On

    If they were grouped with the Solid element using the Group Holes tool they are not patterned and the pattern is associated with the Hole elements as well as the Solid.

    Otherwise, the area enclosed by any other element inside the element, regardless of its Area attribute, is patterned, and no associations are made to it.

Alternative Method — To pattern the area inside a closed element
  1. Select the Pattern Area tool.

  2. Set Method to Element.

  3. Identify the element.

  4. Enter a data point to place the origin of one of the pattern cell instances.

    At left, pattern cell HBONE is used to pattern a complex shape. At right, the outside block is patterned with ENBOND. Since the inner block has the area attribute of Hole, the area inside it is not patterned.

      

To pattern the area between multi-line components
  1. Select the Pattern Area tool.

  2. Set Method to Element.

  3. Identify one component that is to be a boundary of the patterned area.

  4. Identify the other component that is to be a boundary of the patterned area.
    If Associative Pattern is off, this data point also places the origin of one of the pattern cell instances.
    If Associative Pattern is on, the pattern is associated with the multi-line and the origin of one of the pattern cell instances is positioned on one of the multi-line's vertices.

  5. Reset.

To pattern the fenced area
  1. With the fence present, select the Pattern Area tool.

  2. Set Method to Fence.

  3. Enter a data point to place the origin of one of the pattern cell instances.

    Patterning the fenced area. Left: The pattern cell SPGRID. Right: The pattern cell WOOD placed with the Active Pattern Angle (denoted by “A”) set to 30°.

      

To pattern the intersection or union of closed elements
  1. Select the Pattern Area tool.

  2. In the Tool Settings window, set Method to Intersection or Union.

  3. Identify one element.

  4. Identify another element(s).
    As you accept each successive element, the edges that do not enclose the area to be patterned are hidden. The resulting area is highlighted.
    If the elements do not overlap, the following occurs, depending on the Method:

    Method

    If elements do not overlap, then

    Intersection

    “Elements do not intersect” is displayed in the status bar.

    Union

    All elements are patterned.

  5. After you accept the last element, Reset to finish (or select a different tool).
    The area is patterned. The final acceptance point defines a point through which a pattern line must pass.

To pattern the difference between elements
  1. Select the Pattern Area tool.

  2. Set Method to Difference.
    If any elements are selected, they are de-selected.

  3. Identify the element from which to subtract.

  4. Identify the element(s) to subtract from the element that was identified in step 3.
    The area to be patterned is displayed dynamically.

  5. Reset to finish.

To pattern an area enclosed by bounding elements
  1. Select the Pattern Area tool.

  2. Set Method to Flood.

  3. (Optional) If you want the patterning to avoid closed elements, text or dimension text inside the selected area, or you want to view the pattern area dynamically, click Show Extended Information (lower right in the tool settings) and turn on Locate Interior Shapes, Locate Text, and/or Dynamic Area.

  4. Enter a data point in the area enclosed by the bounding elements. (To minimize patterning time, zoom in to the area of interest or select the bounding elements.)
    The area to be patterned is displayed dynamically.
    If there are selected elements, only selected elements are considered as possible bounding elements. If no elements are selected, all elements in the view in which the data point is entered are considered.

  5. Accept the patterning.
    The area is patterned. If Locate Interior Shapes and Locate Text is on, any inside closed element (regardless of its Area attribute), text or dimension text is avoided. If Associative Pattern is on, the patterning is associated to a complex shape created from the bounding elements and the inside elements.

To pattern an area defined by data points
  1. Select the Pattern Area tool.

  2. Set Method to Points.

  3. Enter a data point to define each vertex of an imaginary shape that encloses the area.
    The imaginary shape is dynamically displayed.

  4. Reset to finish.

Key-in: PATTERN AREA [DIFFERENCE | ELEMENT | FENCE | FLOOD | INTERSECTION | POINTS | UNION]