Creating Patterns of Entities

Use the Pattern command to create copies of specified entities

• as a circular pattern, or
• in a linear pattern,
• along a path.
• along a path (Professional, Premium, Enterprise & Enterprise Plus).

The created entities inherit all properties of the original entities such as Layers, LineColors, LineStyles, and LineWeights.

Linear patterns

To create a linear pattern:

1. Do one of the following:
   • On the menu, click Modify > Pattern.
   • Type Pattern.
2. In the dialog box, select Linear.
3. Click Select entities , select the entities to generate the pattern, and press Enter to complete the selection.

   The dialog box disappears until your selection is complete.

4. Under Number of elements:
   • For Horizontal axis and Vertical axis, type the number of elements. Alternatively, you can use the plus and minus buttons to increase, respectively decrease the values.
   • For Spacing between elements, define spacings between the elements and an angle for the pattern.
     • Horizontal axis: Specifies the distance between columns. Click Select column offset  to identify the offset using two points in the drawing. If the column offset is a negative value, columns are added to the left.
     • Vertical axis: Specifies the distance between rows. Click Select row offset  to identify the offset using two points in the drawing. If the row offset is a negative value, rows are added downward.
     • Pattern angle: Specifies the angle to control how the copies are arranged. Click Select angle  to specify the angle using the pointer.
5. Click .

  Note: In the Pattern dialog box, click Preview to check the resulting pattern without creating it. You can use this option and return to the dialog box as many times as needed, then click to generate the pattern.

Circular patterns

To create a circular pattern:

1. Do one of the following:
   • On the menu, click Modify > Pattern.
   • Type Pattern.
2. In the dialog box, select Circular.
3. Click Select entities , select the entities to generate the pattern, and press Enter to complete the selection.

   The dialog box disappears until your selection is complete.

4. Select Orient elements about axis to rotate the entities as they are patterned, otherwise they maintain the alignment of the source entity.
5. Under Settings, set:
   • Base pattern on. Select an option:
     • Angle Between and Total Number of Elements.
     • Fill Angle and Angle Between Elements.
     • Fill Angle and Total Number of Elements.

     According to your selection, set the corresponding parameters:

     • Angle between (if required) is the included angle between the base points of the pattern entities and the center of the pattern. Type a positive value or click Pick Angle between Items .
     • Fill angle (if required). Type a positive or negative value or click Pick Angle To Fill . The default for the angle to fill is 360° - a full circle pattern. A value of zero is not allowed. The pattern is drawn counterclockwise for positive angles and clockwise for negative angles.
     • Total number if required. The number of items includes the original entity.
6. Under Element base point, set:
   • Use last entity selected. Uses the base point from the last item you selected.
   • X and Y. Type values or click Pick Base Point .
7. Under Axis point, set:
   • X and Y. Type values for the center point of the pattern or click Pick Center Point .
8. Click .

Patterns along a path

To create a pattern along a path:

1. Do one of the following:
   • On the menu, click Modify > Pattern.
   • Type Pattern.
2. In the dialog box, under Pattern type, select Path.
3. Click Specify entities , select the entities to align along a path, and press Enter to complete the selection.

   The dialog box disappears when your selection is complete.

   In the dialog box, the collection of specified entities is referred to as elements.

4. Click Specify path  and select the entity that defines the path to align the specified entities along.

   The path can be a Line, PolyLine, Arc, Circle, Ellipse, or Spline.

5. In Settings, set:
   • Base pattern on. Select an option:
     • Distance Between and Total Number of Elements. Allocates the copies along the path at specified intervals with the specified total number. If the calculated pattern length exceeds the length of the path, the distance between the copies is reduced.
     • Divide Equally. Allocates the number of copies evenly along the total length of the path.
     • Measure Equally. Allocates the copies along the path at intervals you specify.
   • Distance (if required). Specifies the intervals between the copies. Click Specify spacing between elements  to identify the distance in the graphics area.
   • Total number (if required). Specifies the resulting number of pattern copies in the path patten (including the source).
6. Under Element base point, set:
   • Use last entity selected. Uses the base point from the last entity you specified.
   • X and Y. Type values or click Pick base point  to specify the base point in the graphics area.
7. Under Rows, set:
   • Count. Specifies the number of rows in the pattern.
   • Distance. Specifies the distance between the rows. If the distance is a negative value, rows are added downward. Click Specify spacing between elements  to identify the distance in the graphics area.
8. Under Element alignment, set:
   • Align elements with path. Aligns each pattern copy to be tangent to the path direction. Otherwise the copied entities maintain the orientation of the source entities.
   • Specify tangent direction. Specifies two points in the graphics area which represent the tangency of the copies relative to the path. Use EntitySnaps to refer to the geometry of source entities.

     Click Remove tangent direction to clear the tangent direction you previously specified.

   • Angle. Specifies the rotation angle for the copies relative to the specified tangent direction.
9. Click .

  Note: In the Pattern dialog box, click Preview to check the resulting pattern without creating it. You can use this option and return to the dialog box as many times as needed, then click to generate the pattern.

Access

Command: Pattern

Menu: Modify > Pattern