SolidWorks Patterns and Pattern Enhancements (New in SolidWorks 2014)

Highlight Seed Feature

To identify a seed feature in a pattern more easily, click the pattern in the Feature Manager Design tree. The seed highlights in a different color from the pattern instances as shown below. Pattern instances are highlighted in Selected Item 1 color, and seeds in Selected Item 2 color. You can change these colors by clicking Tools > Options > Colors.

 

Display Tooltips with Pattern Information

You can display a tooltip about a pattern as shown in the image below. When you set this system option, information displays when you hover over the pattern name in the Feature Manager Design tree. Information about the pattern includes:

•   Pattern name
•   Pattern type 
•    All seeds used to create the pattern
•    Spacing and number of instances for Direction 1 and Direction 2
•     Instances skipped
•     Instances varied

Click Tools > Options. On the System Options tab, click Display/Selection and select or clear Display pattern information tooltips.

Multibody Support for Pattern and Mirror Features

When pattern or mirror features split single bodies into multiple bodies, you can select which bodies to keep using the Bodies to Keep dialog box as shown below. You can also specify which configurations to keep up to date. Previously, the SolidWorks software randomly selected bodies to keep.

Pattern enhancements for Assembly

Curve and Sketch Driven Patterns

You can define curve driven and sketch driven patterns for assemblies. Curve driven patterns can contain tangential lines to locate components driven by a curve. Sketch driven patterns can contain a centroid or a selected point to locate components driven by a sketch. Previously, these patterns were available for parts only.

Pattern Driven Patterns

You can create a pattern using an underlying component pattern. The Feature Driven Pattern has been renamed to Pattern Driven Pattern because it is no longer limited to

features. You can use a component, in addition to a feature, to drive a pattern driven pattern. The component can be in the same assembly or within a sub-assembly. The component can also be driven by an assembly-level pattern such as a Linear, Circular or Hole Wizard series, or by a feature driven pattern.