linear pattern instances to vary greyed out

User avatar
rjt205
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2023 10:58 am
Answers: 0
x 2

linear pattern instances to vary greyed out

Unread post by rjt205 »

I have a job that generally takes a pattern in some parts. Until this job they have all been a standard pattern, but this is pattered at three different distances, so I want to use "instances to vary". All the pattering is with cuts and some work nicely but some have the command greyed out so I can't pick it. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?
User avatar
Glenn Schroeder
Posts: 1520
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2021 11:43 am
Answers: 23
Location: southeast Texas
x 1758
x 2129

Re: linear pattern instances to vary greyed out

Unread post by Glenn Schroeder »

rjt205 wrote: Fri Apr 05, 2024 1:01 pm I have a job that generally takes a pattern in some parts. Until this job they have all been a standard pattern, but this is pattered at three different distances, so I want to use "instances to vary". All the pattering is with cuts and some work nicely but some have the command greyed out so I can't pick it. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?
Can you post the part? Or if it's proprietary can you create a dummy part that displays the same behavior and post that?
"On the days when I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, well, I have really good days."

Ray Wylie Hubbard in his song "Mother Blues"
User avatar
DanPihlaja
Posts: 847
Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2021 9:33 am
Answers: 25
Location: Traverse City, MI
x 811
x 978

Re: linear pattern instances to vary greyed out

Unread post by DanPihlaja »

rjt205 wrote: Fri Apr 05, 2024 1:01 pm I have a job that generally takes a pattern in some parts. Until this job they have all been a standard pattern, but this is pattered at three different distances, so I want to use "instances to vary". All the pattering is with cuts and some work nicely but some have the command greyed out so I can't pick it. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?
You can't use "instances to vary" with bodies. You can only use it if you are patterning features.
image.png
image.png
-Dan Pihlaja
Solidworks 2022 SP4

2 Corinthians 13:14
User avatar
Glenn Schroeder
Posts: 1520
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2021 11:43 am
Answers: 23
Location: southeast Texas
x 1758
x 2129

Re: linear pattern instances to vary greyed out

Unread post by Glenn Schroeder »

DanPihlaja wrote: Thu Apr 18, 2024 3:20 pm You can't use "instances to vary" with bodies. You can only use it if you are patterning features.
I can. Maybe that's new with SW2024?

image.png
"On the days when I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, well, I have really good days."

Ray Wylie Hubbard in his song "Mother Blues"
User avatar
AlexLachance
Posts: 2181
Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2021 8:14 am
Answers: 17
Location: Quebec
x 2362
x 2013

Re: linear pattern instances to vary greyed out

Unread post by AlexLachance »

Why do you guys use "instances to vary" rather then use sketch driven patterns...?
User avatar
Glenn Schroeder
Posts: 1520
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2021 11:43 am
Answers: 23
Location: southeast Texas
x 1758
x 2129

Re: linear pattern instances to vary greyed out

Unread post by Glenn Schroeder »

AlexLachance wrote: Thu Apr 18, 2024 4:07 pm Why do you guys use "instances to vary" rather then use sketch driven patterns...?
I can't speak for others, but while I don't use "Instances to Vary" often, when I do I almost always want to just adjust one instance, so doing that in the Linear Pattern seems simpler and easier than creating a sketch to drive the Pattern.
"On the days when I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, well, I have really good days."

Ray Wylie Hubbard in his song "Mother Blues"
Post Reply