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mszilagyi1-Visitor
1-Visitor
July 23, 2015
Solved

Having trouble with the hole table.

  • July 23, 2015
  • 19 replies
  • 9200 views

Hi, anybody who reads this. I'm a new Creo 2 user, I used Pro years ago, but that's a different beast altogether now. I have been using Solidwotks exclusively for about 8 years and my new job needs me to do some work in Creo, and I'm flying blind. I have managed to model up all the sheet metal parts fairly well, with the exception to hole patterning. I have a metal strip that will need 139 instances of a home all in a straight row. The problem is that the spacing follows a pattern of .625 distance on first, .625 on second, and .500 on third. It goes on just like that for 139 holes. Ok, so I can create a table and enter in my distances and it works in theory, however my "standard" hole spacing is from home to hole whereas Creo seems to want to use the first features reference to the edge and dimension everything from the edge ordinate style. Am I wrong? I even went so far as to manually calculate each hole position and plugged everything into an excel file, as someone said it could be used as long as the extension was changed. Unfortunately I spent all that time and I can figure out how to bring it in. Sorry for the long message, I was trying to cover everything done or tried. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated now that I'm switching teams;)


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Best answer by MartinHanak

Mark,

pattern_hole_test_mh1.prt

  • added DTM1
  • first hole dimensioned to DTM1 ... 0.625
  • second hole dimensioned to first hole ... 0.625
  • third hole dimensioned to second hole ... 0.500
  • three holes are grouped
  • group is patterned 46-times ... dimension pattern using dimension 0.625 from first hole and increment 1.75 (0.625+0.625+0.500)
  • problem of this model ... last hole (no.139) is missing

pattern_hole_test_mh2.prt

  • added DTM1
  • first hole dimensioned to DTM1 ... 0.625
  • second hole dimensioned to DTM1 ... 1.25 (0.625+0.625)
  • third hole dimensioned to DTM1 ... 1.75 (0.625+0.625+0.500)
  • first hole patterned 47-times ... dimension pattern using dimension 0.625 from first hole and increment 1.75
  • second hole patterned 46-times ... dimension pattern using dimension 1.25 from second hole and increment 1.75
  • third hole patterned 46-times ... dimension pattern using dimension 1.75 from third hole and increment 1.75

Martin Hanak

19 replies

Chris3
Chris321-Topaz I
21-Topaz I
July 23, 2015

It sounds like your question is in regards to a table pattern. Just to be clear, a hole table in the PTC world refers to a table that gets put on the drawing.

To answer your question however if you are using Creo2, when you edit the table it should come up in Excel. I do not believe you can define the distance between holes with a table pattern. When you are finished filling out the dimensions, click save in Excel and then close it. You will get a prompt about keeping it in the same format. Make sure to say YES. When you close Excel it may ask you if you want to save again. You can click don't save.

Alternatively you could define your hole pattern as a point pattern. Sketch out a bunch of points and then pattern based on the points (last option in the pattern drop down). This would allow you to define the space in between the rows of holes.

mszilagyi1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
July 23, 2015

Thank you for the distinction. Yes, I made a table, patterning one hole in a long row. The problem is that I can vary the distances as needed but only if they are dimensioned from the same edge as the original holes placement. I have hole to hole dimensions, and forcing me to manually enter each location after subtracting out the original edge dimension and each consecutive hole thereafter if that makes sense.

I don't think I'd be saving much by sketching out the points I'm afraid; I would need to plot out 140 instances. Maybe I'm not understanding. Thanks for trying to point me in the right direction.

MartinHanak24-Ruby III
24-Ruby III
July 23, 2015

Mark,

I uploaded my suggestion.

Martin Hanak

mszilagyi1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
July 23, 2015

Martin,

    Thank you very much for taking the time to create a sample for me. The issue is that while I can plot out dozens of holes on a table, the issue is dimensioning them. For instance, you made a representative sampling of the spacing, and then patterned that group of holes 4 times? Where/how do you control that 30mm gap between each extrude instance? I need to have the pattern repeating without additional spaces. Did you follow that? I know I'm close, maybe your method will work, and I just haven't figured out how to completely control it.

Thank you

Chris3
Chris321-Topaz I
21-Topaz I
July 23, 2015

Have you tried patterning a pattern?

JonathanHodgson13-Aquamarine
13-Aquamarine
July 23, 2015

If I understand your question, you want a repeating pattern of three(?) holes, with two gaps of .625" and one of .5".

Have you considered modelling three holes (individually, using Copy And Translate, or using a pattern table) with spacing of .625" and .5", and then grouping them and patterning the group at intervals of 1.75"?  139 doesn't divide by three so you may need to model one more individual / copied hole at one end...

mszilagyi1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
July 23, 2015

Yes, that is precisely what I need.

I did try that as well, a few ways. Maybe I was under the wrong type of pattern or I don't completely understand how each type of patter translates. I didn't use "Copy and Translate" however. I just made the holes and tried to select them under the pattern dropdown, I may have chose the wrong option in defining it resulting in it not working. I am not finding it very intuitive. I had online support do screen session with me, and he couldn't figure it out, he emailed me a link the next day referring to making tables:) I guess I need to start looking up copy and translate. The real problem has been with the table only wanting to dimension from the original edge rather than hole to hole. I'm going to explore your method now.

Thanks


kdirth
kdirth21-Topaz I
21-Topaz I
July 27, 2015

The issue of dimensioning edge to hole verses hole to hole could be solved by adding a DTM plane for the distance from edge to fist hole then dimensioning first hole to DTM plane 0.00.

There is always more to learn.
NickMihelich12-Amethyst
12-Amethyst
July 28, 2015

First you will need to open excel and create this file then you save as a .txt file.  You then rename that txt file as a .ptb file.  next you create a pattern select table choose the driving dimension and read in the ptb file. ptrn.png

NickMihelich12-Amethyst
12-Amethyst
July 28, 2015

source video for pattern tables

source video for excel editing

mszilagyi1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
July 30, 2015

Very helpful, thank you.

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