You can create multiple copies of a selected part instance in either a linear or radial pattern. You can specify the number of instances to create and the structure of the pattern, as described below. These commands cannot be used on model instances.
Linear pattern
A linear pattern positions the new instances linearly along a direction; for example, the X-direction. The origin of the selected part instance and the origins of the new part instances lie on the line specified by the direction. You can specify the number of instances and the spacing between the instances. In addition, you can change the orientation of the linear pattern by selecting a line from the assembly that represents the new direction.
You can create a matrix of copied instances by creating copies in a second direction; for example, the Y-direction. The options are the same as for the first direction; you can control the number of copies, the spacing, and the orientation. By default, the first direction is the X-axis and the second direction is the Y-axis. For example, Figure 13–16 illustrates how a part instance can be patterned in both the X- and Y-axes.
Radial pattern
A radial pattern positions the new instances in a circular pattern. You can specify the number of instances, and you can specify the angle between the first and last copy, where a positive angle corresponds to a counterclockwise direction. For example, Figure 13–17 illustrates a radial pattern of the same part instances that appear in Figure 13–16.
By default, Abaqus/CAE creates the radial pattern about the Z-axis. Alternatively, you can select a line from the assembly that defines the axis of the circular pattern.If you create a pattern of instances that are touching and you want to treat the pattern as a single part, you must use the Merge/Cut tool to merge all of the part instances in the pattern into a single part instance. For example, the instances in the radial pattern illustrated in Figure 13–17 overlapped each other and have been merged into a single part instance. For more information, see “Performing Boolean operations on part instances,” Section 13.7. If you do not merge the part instances, the pattern may include duplicate faces or nodes where the instances touch.
If a part contains part-level sets or surfaces, Abaqus/CAE creates separate assembly-level sets and surfaces for each individual part instance in a pattern (see “How do part sets and assembly sets differ?,” Section 73.2.2, for further discussion of part- and assembly-level sets and surfaces). For example, if the top face of the original part in Figure 13–16 and Figure 13–17 is included in a part-level surface, Abaqus/CAE initially creates individual assembly-level surfaces for the top face of each part instance in the patterned assembly. It is often helpful to merge these repeated sets and surfaces into a single set or surface. When you merge patterned part instances, Abaqus/CAE also merges any repeated sets or repeated surfaces into a single set or surface on the merged part and part instance. If you do not merge the patterned part instances, you can still merge sets or surfaces using the Boolean option in the Model Tree (see “Performing Boolean operations on sets or surfaces,” Section 73.3.4, for instructions).
You will find it more convenient to use dependent part instances when you create a linear or radial pattern of instances. When you mesh the original part, Abaqus/CAE applies the same mesh to each instance in the pattern. In contrast, if you create a pattern of independent instances, you must mesh each instance individually. For more information, see “What is the difference between a dependent and an independent part instance?,” Section 13.3.2.
