how to update a merged surface pattern?

IF I select all quilts individually, then they are all individually identified for the merge operation. i want to be able to update the number of members in the pattern, but that will cause errors when I decrease the number of members. So is there a way to select a pattern to merge instead of its members individually?

Your screenshot just looks like a sine wave so I suggest creating two Curves from equation and then create Boundary Blend using them as references. The feature-level parameter of the Curve feature can later be changed to make it as long as you want. It will be a single Boundary blend and therefore a single surface.

I think the concept you are looking for is using the search feature so that regardless of the number of copies, it selects them all to merge. This should fall under "intent" reference. I am not good at the search tool, but intent features, etc. it what PTC recommends if the references can change quantity over time.

There is no automation for Surface Merge process if their base is patterned quilts. The only possible automation could be Reference Pattern, however this one will obviousely not work in this case : initial Merge will refer 1st and 2nd Quilts, hence there is no case for RefPattern (to work it should have only reference 1st member)

In the case you posted in picture there is a workaround. Basicly you make xsection that goes trough those patterned surfaces then you make curve out of xsection. make sketch and use project loop on that curve and later extrude it into surface. That extrude replaces merge to get one big surface.

when you change number of pattern members curve will grow and so will your extruded surface. You dont use merge here at all. This works for your example but i dont think its of any use on diffrent types of patterned surfaces.

Here is prt file:

http://www.2shared.com/file/ZA2pYT8B/prt0007prt.html

Cheers