Elements

Measure Length

The Measured Length control only measures the curve length of an element, for use by controls later.

Select the Measured Length tool. The tool window will ask for the name to give the parameter. Enter the name.

Now click on the element whose length you want to use in creating the parameter.

Set Radius

A Radius can be applied to arcs or to circles. In the case of an arc, you can still control the position of each of its endpoints. Templates will then re-construct an arc between endpoints with the requested radius.

Select the Set Radius tool. Mouse over the arc or circle for which you want to set the radius, and it will light up. Click on it to add the radius control. As soon as you have created the control, you can associate it with a parameter name from the dropdown in the Tool window.

Set Tangent

A Tangent Adjuster can be applied to either end of an arc element, never to both ends.

Select the Set Tangent tool. Click on the arc to select it. Now click on the neighbor element you want the arc to be tangent to. You’ll see the following control at the end that will stay tangent.

When you apply variables, all Template Points will move to their final positions, then arcs will adjust their radius to hold the tangent at the specified end.

Match Length

Match Length is used to move a center point orthogonality relative to its chord line until the length of the element equals the length of some other element. Match Length can be placed on Arcs, Polylines with one internal point, or Beziers with one internal point.

Select the Match Length tool. All eligible elements will light up. Select the one you want to add use. Now select the parameter attached to the length of some other element from the Tool Window dropdown. You should have used the measured Length tool first in order to create that parameter.

When you apply variables, the adjustment point will make the length of the element equal to the length of the Measured element.

Select Tool

The Select Tool is used to set the cutting tool for an element based on the value of a variable.

For Select Tools to work properly, you need to first add a tool parameter. Start by selecting the tools in the drop-down menu. Then, add an expression. There are two ways to set this up:

1. Create a true or false statement. When the output is true, the first selected t tool will be applied. If the output is false, the second selected tool will be applied. 

2. Set a variable to 1 (true) or 0 (false). 1 will apply the first tool and 0 will apply the second tool. Example: If LeftAnchor=1, the first tool would be applied.

Now that a tool parameter is created, you can assign an element to the Select Tool. Press the Select Tool, then select the tool parameter in the Tool Window. Select the element you want to apply the tool parameter to.

Arc Fillet

When you are creating Templates patterns that require fillets, it is easiest to leave your corners in PatternSmith and add your fillets in Templates. If you have already added them in PatternSmith, you can still change the radius in Templates, but it will require five controls instead of one. 

Fillets can only be placed at Template Points between two intersecting line segments. Placing a fillet doesn’t reduce the number of degrees of freedom at that point.

Select the Arc Fillet tool. All eligible corners will be lit and available. Click on the corner point where you want to place a fillet, then select the right parameter from the Tool Window dropdown.

When you click the Apply Variables button, you’ll see the fillet applied.

Scale Factor

In some situations, you may need to apply a scale factor to an entire pattern as a final operation.

We’ll illustrate the tool’s use with a very simple example. You want to adjust the size of a rectangle by entering the value of the area of the finished rectangle. Create a rectangle with the aspect ratio you want and compute its area.

Add two variables, BaseArea equal to the area of the base rectangle, and Area which you’ll use to set the area of the final rectangle.

Add a Parameter, called Ratio, equal to SQRT(Area/BaseArea).

Select the pattern, then click on the Scale Factor tool.

The Tool dialog will display Scale Factor Properties, with a dropdown. Select the scale factor from the dropdown, in this case, Ratio. Then click Create in the Tool dialog.

When you click Apply Variables, your rectangle will scale to the area you entered.