Array across a ellipse (or any other shape)

[BoroCAD]

Hi,

 

 

I want to array a solid over the surface of an ellipse so that none of the solids are outside the ellipse. Is it possible to array and object within a defined shape?

 

 

I can do it by arraying then exploding the array and manual selecting and deleting the ones outside the ellipse but I hoped there was an automatic method for fitting an array to a shape.

 

 

I need the solids to be evenly spaced (4mm centres) about the centre of the ellipse. Is there a way to array the solids in both the positive and negative directions at the same time?

 

 

Screenshots and .dwg attached.

3D ARRAY.dwg

[JD Mather]

Something like this?

Can you describe your design intent in detail?

or this? Oops, I missed the 4mm part of the problem description. These are spaced 2.1mm

[Cad64]

Something like this?

Can you describe your design intent in detail?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]47440[/ATTACH]

or this? Oops, I missed the 4mm part of the problem description. These are spaced 2.1mm

 

Was that done in Autocad? Looks like Solidworks to me. I fail to see how this is helpful to the OP who is using Autocad.

[JD Mather]

Are you familiar with Divide or Measure in AutoCAD?

[BoroCAD]

JD Mather - My end aim is to subtract the solid cylinders from a larger sprinkler head model, therefore creating perforations to let the water through.

 

 

My thought process for producing the perforations:

1) I've already shelled sprinkler head.

2) I extracted the edge of the front face (XEDGE), see red ellipse below.

3) I set a new UCS at the centre of the ellipse (so that the holes will be central to the face of the sprinkler head).

4) I wanted to array the cylinders in a square form across the ellipse face.

5) I was going to move the arrayed cylinders in the -ve Z direction to put them through the shell before subtracting them from the sprinkler head.

 

 

Is there something similar to the 'Fill Pattern' command you've used above in AutoCAD? I thought fitting an array or pattern to a face would be an obvious command / option for AutoCAD.

 

 

NB - I have completed the perforations by arraying in a square pattern, mirroring to cover the whole ellipse shape, exploding to individual units, deleting the cylinders I don't want, moving in the -ve Z direction and subtracting. Although this works I'm hoping there is a quicker method to save time in the future. See screenshot below.