Pattern of blended pockets

[Nickul]

I'm trying to select the relevant edges to blend each of the pockets in a pattern. See image, , so that I get this, , but picking the correct edges over the entire part is proving tricky.

 

Select by autofeature or intellishapes, gives this, i.e. it tries to blend the top of the web.

 

Patterning the blend almost works but then throws up an error,

 

The advanced the curve selector does not really help in this case.

 

Perhaps the best method is to switch to wireframe and use the box select and drag bottom right to top left to get open window mode and select the correct edges, but this is fiddly, and does not seem to select the edges that are end on, thus you have to look side on and then add the remaining edges. This is quite tricky with a part that is significantly longer than its depth.

 

Any ideas how to easily select the correct edges to blend the pockets. I have many different parts to do with this problem.

 

It did occur to me to blend a box (the size of the pocket,) and then subtract and then pattern this from the main block.... I may do this.

 

thanks

 

Nick

[dprodanic]

Try to use Bevel option in IntelliShape Properties...

 

 

edit: these values ​​can be parametric if Show Formula checkbox is checked

 

Edited November 1, 2014 by dprodanic

[Malcolm Crowe]

Hi Nick. Dragan's suggestion is a good one. The attached images (3 steps and result) are another method.

 

Step 1: Create the master cavity

 

Step 2: Blend the master cavity by selecting the bottom face (easier than selecting the 4 edges).

 

Step 3. Select the previous 2 features (important) and activate the pattern tool, and select bilinear pattern, set the two directions (by selecting edges) and the offset.

[Nickul]

both superb suggestions thanks.

 

Dragan - i always forget about the intellishape reshaping options, I have probably never used them before.

 

 

Malcolm - very interesting as you can see I tried to pattern the blend but it would have none of it, but the key is pattering the block and pattern together. I wish the error message could have said that...

 

thanks

 

Nick

[Robert Andersson]

All good suggestions. Also, if you end up with the top surface with blends, you can use history to simply extrude away material,asuming you are adjuting the main block height.

[Eric Foy]

One other idea:

 

If the cavity is an extruded cross section, then first fillet the corners of the cross section of the master cavity (they all follow suit). Now you can create your blend by simply selecting the bottom face of each cavity, which is way easier than picking all those edges.