Dynamic Bocks with Chained Arrays?

Hi all,

I've been trying to figure out if chaining parameters will accomplish what i'm trying to do, which is...

Imagine an elevation of a concrete pier or column showing the horizontal stirrup cage around the vertical reinforcement. If like to be able to use one parameter to control the space between elements (cage c/c) and another to control the total length of the array (height of column or # of cages). Then the actual number of elements would be total length/spacing.

Also, arrays alway seem to have fixed spacing, anyway to make the parameter control the spacing of the array?

Is this possible? Am i even using the right approach? Can anyone give me some direction?

Thanks,

Should i just be using the new ARRAY functionality in 2012? I hadn't even thought of that.

you could create different visibilities for the various spacings.

You can use array and dimensional constraint.

But I'm not really sure what you want to achieve, posting an image can help...

I just ended up doing it with the new array features in 2012. If anyone here uses illustrator, the "transform" functionality i'm looking to implement. You can array and the original object still remain edit-able. The new array is almost there... Unfortunately i'm not too clear on the workflow for changing the geometry of the object being arrayed. I guess i'll have to play with it a bit more.

Edit Source on Options Tab OR type ARRAYEDIT then select array. At the end save changes to associative array.

Thanks, I guess thats not to complicated. Not that I think I know more than Autodesk, but I don't see any reason why the original object that was arrayed can't stay edit-able. At least from a functionality standpoint.

Anyway, thats for the advice.

Yeah i was thinking that myself.. however you don;t have to make is associative. Whilst the command is active @ the end it asks you to 'press Enter to accept' or (ASsociative/Base point/Rows/Columns/Levels/eXit)

Try AS then NO and this should do the trick.