KozMos LiveLinePattern

  Dynamic changed line pattern made from center line
　         KozMos LiveLinePattern can create continuous polyline from unit pattern along two points (or a line). The pattern unit can be user defined or formal. The formal unit unit is "W" type with all line segments and "U" type with lines and one arc.

        The created pattern polyline can be lived if it is made from a Centerline: Any geometric changes of the Centerline might cause the change of pattern polyline as well. Thus we can modify the pattern polyline simply via the Centerline. Geometric changes of the pattern polyline will be ignored next time the Centerline is changed. But Layer change will be recorded and passed down to following updates.

        LiveLinePattern also provides commands to restore the broken links, it will be useful after we run WBLOCK to the certain pattern polyline and Centerline.

        To start LiveLinePattern, just type LLPATTERN at AutoCAD "Command:" prompt.
        In order to restore the broken links, we can try Restore button from dialog interface or type LLP-RELINK at AutoCAD "Command:" prompt.

Dialog Interface

        Controls in AutoCAD

  • Set layer
    Enable and select from the list
  • Optimize pline vertex
    Enable to reduce the redundant pattern polyline vertex.
    Only valid for customized pattern because build-in pattern does not have redundant vertex.
  • Use Centerine
    Enable to pick a line as Centerline to create the pattern polyline, if it is disabled, will prompt users to pick two points instead of line.
  • Attach Reactor
    If the pattern polyline was created from Centerline, then Reactor can be attached.
    Once the reactor is attached, changing the Centerline will cause pattern polyline update together.
  • Scale
    Set the pattern polyline drawing scale.

        Existing pattern polyline can also be modified by this dialog. Click the [Pick Pattern <] button and then pick the Centerline or the pattern polyline, all parameters will be gathered and displayed. After we change the proper parameters, we can use [Create/Update <] button to update the pattern polyline.

        Please see detail build-in pattern parameters below.
　

Build-in Pattern Unit

        Pattern unit is used for LiveLinePattern to save data. The default and build-in pattern unit type is divided into 3 three parts:

  • 1st part:
    A LINE segment
  • 2nd part:
    An ARC or a two-line-segment
  • 3rd part:
    A LINE segment, be parallel or symmetric to the 1st line segment.

        As default, both of the end point of 3rd line and the start point of 1st line will be on UCS X direction, and the end point should be larger than the start point. The distance is called Unit Distance and it can not be negative and zero because the pattern need to grow along the positive X direction.

        In order to define the pattern unit, we introduce total seven parameters, four of them are numbers and the other three are switches (reference to right picture).

  • Four number parameters:
    • Offset Distance:
       The distance of the 1st line segment to the original point. As LiveLinePattern use polar system to record line segment, it is the real length of the 1st line segment.
      This parameter can be zero.
      It is the "K1" in picture.
    • Unit Distance:
       The total length of the pattern unit. This value can not be 0 or negative number as we need the pattern to GROW UP along the line direction.
      It is the "K2" in picture.
    • Bulge Height:
       If an ARC is used to be the 2nd part, then the Bulge Height is the offset distance of the middle point of the ARC.
      It is the "K3" in picture.
    • Start Angle:
       The rotation angle of the 1st line. Value of this parameter is defined in DEGREE not RADIUS.
      It is the "Rot" in picture.
  • Three switches:
    • LineBulgeType:
       LineBulgeType is used to control LiveLinePattern to draw a "^" or "v" type two-line-segment instead of an ARC. The middle point of ARC will be used as the internal intersection point of the two-line-segment.
    • MirrorLayoutType:
       MirrorLayoutType is used to control LiveLinePattern to mirror the unit along the center line while it is growing.
      If the basic unit is a type like "C", then the pattern unit might be like a "S" which contain two "C" mirrored along the center line.
    • SymmetricUnitType:
      As formerly defined, the 1st and the 3rd parts are both lines, so the relationship between the two lines are also important, LiveLinePattern now only support two relationships between them: Parallel and Symmetric.
      SymmetricUnitType is used to control the self symmetry of the unit. This is realized by mirror the start angle.
      If the Start Angle is 90 degree, changes on SymmetricUnitType will not take any difference.

        The following picture shows the various results of different switch settings, values of four number parameters are all same:

        Offset Distance=100.0    Unit Distance=200    Bulge Height=-40    Start Angle=75

    LineBulgeType=0    MirrorLayoutType=0    SymmetricUnitType=0
    LineBulgeType=0    MirrorLayoutType=0    SymmetricUnitType=1
    LineBulgeType=0    MirrorLayoutType=1    SymmetricUnitType=0
    LineBulgeType=0    MirrorLayoutType=1    SymmetricUnitType=1
    LineBulgeType=1    MirrorLayoutType=0    SymmetricUnitType=0
    LineBulgeType=1    MirrorLayoutType=0    SymmetricUnitType=1
    LineBulgeType=1    MirrorLayoutType=1    SymmetricUnitType=0
    LineBulgeType=1    MirrorLayoutType=1    SymmetricUnitType=1

Define your own pattern

        We can define customized patterns in LiveLinePattern, in order to do so, the certain criteria below should be followed:

  • The Base Point of the pattern
    A valid UCS point.
  • The pattern components:
    Only "arc" and "line" are supported. We need to pick them one by one following the same drawing order started from the Base Point. Besides, the final End Point should has the same Y coordinates with Start Point and a bigger X coordinates than it.

        LiveLinePattern will then create a customized pattern data, such data can be used temporarily or saved.

Manage the Pattern data

        LiveLinePattern can save the pattern data into file "LivePattern.TXT" located in AutoCAD Root folder.

        Each saved pattern should have a unique name and the name can not start with "*". In the Pattern Manager dialog, all existing patterns will be shown. This is also the portal to switch different patterns.

        If the "Set as Default" is enabled, the certain pattern data will be the default settings since next time we calling LiveLinePattern.

　
　

Program record

  • 2009-03-30
    Add option of "Optimize pline vertex    "
  • 2009-03-10
    Add ReActor
    Support user pattern type
    Dialog optimized
    Help slide
  • 2009-02-25
    Support two pattern types
  • 2009-02-12
    1st simple structure for "U" type pattern
    Core function to draw pattern polyline from pattern data
　

//Koz Jono Yeoh//

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