Hi,
After a recent thread about linear arrays, I tried it out, and came up with unexpected results. I would appreciate any comments about my method, and/or the results I obtained.
I drew a circle, 5 dia, at the origin (blue, in the attached pic). Then a line from the origin 130 long, in the -x direction (cyan). I selected the circle, and chose the linear array tool. I entered a spacing of 6 in the data entry box, and when asked, picked the start (origin) and end (x = -130) of the cyan line, called reference points. Regardless of where (on the circle) I selected the original circle, the array (black circles) was drawn with the left and top tangents to the first arrayed circle in line with the origin, and all other arrayed circles were tangent and below the 130 long line (I was expecting the centres to lie on this line). I then drew a few lines connecting corresponding points of the arrayed circles (green), which 'verified' to 10.99 long. I definitely entered 6 in the spacing data box, but nothing measures 6. Can anyone explain why the spacing is not 6, and why the circles are below the line and offset to the right? I would also have expected the array to 'add' to the original item (as shown in the tool icon!!), but it rather looks like the first array item is too close to the original object.
One final thing; the distance from the centre of the final circle to the end of the cyan line is 11.56. Why wasn't there one more circle, given that they are spaced 10.99 apart?? :confused:
Regards, Ian.
( Using VC2d3d, v6, build 786)
OK, I have found the 'spacing' thing; it is the distance BETWEEN adjacent edges/points on objects in the array, so for my 5 dia circles, and 6 spacing, the 'pitch' is 11, although the verified distance is 10.99. Is this a common use of 'spacing'? My intuition led me to expect the pitch to be used for this parameter.
Another thing just 'discovered'; if after selecting the start point reference one swings the mouse around that point (ie, rubber-banding around the origin in my example), the first arrayed circle is always on the same side of the origin as the mouse when crossing the axes, except when crossing the -x axis, when the array 'jumps' one object to the right!!
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