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Digital Engineering February 28, 2018

Time-Saving Tip: How to Create an Incremental Numerical Pattern in Creo Parametric

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Guest post from LiveWorx Sponsor Rand 3D,Tyler Griffin, Technical Training Engineer

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Here’s a time saving technique that’s useful anytime Creo users need to
increase (or decrease) numerical values on a part, either as solid material, or
even to simply have sketches to label items.

To create an incremental numerical pattern within a part, first go to Tools >

Parameters.

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Then create a new parameter and set the value to what you want your initial
value for your pattern to be. In this example we are starting with zero and
calling the parameter “Number”.

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Then create a sketch, sketch a point.

Open your relations and set number to be equal to a dimension from that
point. In this example the point is coincident with our vertical reference and
the dimension from our horizontal reference is used.

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Click ok. Then click on the text icon in your sketching group.

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Click on the bottom and then top of where you want your text to exist. Then in
your text window, set text to use parameter and select the parameter you
created earlier. Set your horizontal and vertical alignment for the text how you
want it. In this example, vertical is on the default setting of bottom and
horizontal is changed to center.

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Click ok. Complete the sketch. Then select the sketch and click pattern. Use a
dimension, table, or axis pattern. In this example we are using an axis pattern.
The number of pattern instances is set to 10. Within the dimensions flyout
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5/15/2020 LiveWorx Digital Transformation Event | Time-Saving Tip: How to Create
menu, the dimension for the point created within our sketch and used to drive
our Number parameter is selected and set to an increment of one.

The angle icon is selected to evenly space the instances about 360 degrees.
Then, the pattern is completed and displays as shown in this example:

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By modifying the initial value of the parameter Number to 12, the increment of
the pattern to -1, and the direction to go the other way, the pattern can be
changed to a clock face like shown:

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This same method with only slight changes can also be used to create an
incremental numerical grid. For this you place the point within your first sketch
to have both a vertical and horizontal dimension. Both are set to zero in the
example shown below.

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Then set your number relation to equal the sum of both of the dimensions
from you point added. In the example below sd13 and sd15 are these
dimensions and “num” is the name of the parameter.

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Click ok, then complete the sketch. Add an additional parameter for the
number of columns you want to have in your grid. Then, create a dimension
pattern of the sketch. For this pattern you need to have both the horizontal
distance for your point and the horizontal distance for your text within the
same direction box (to do this, hold “ctrl” while selecting). Then place both your
vertical distance from your point and your vertical distance from you text

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within the second direction box. For your increments for both the horizontal
and vertical distances for your point, set them to equal one. Set the increments
for your text how far you want the text spaced apart.

Set the number of rows that you want within your pattern (don’t worry about
setting columns yet). Complete the pattern. Then open your relations and set
the number of columns for your pattern to equal the column parameter that
you created earlier. Also set the increment for vertical distance of your point to
equal the column parameter.

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Complete your pattern. In this example, the following grid will then display:

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The number of columns and rows can now easily be changed, as can the
starting value and the increment of the pattern.

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Posted on February 28, 2018
in Digital Engineering

Tags: CAD, creo

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