How to curve pattern a feature that has split lines + colours?

Hello,

I am trying to graphically represnt in effect a series of cylindrial
fence posts equally spaced along a 3D curve.
The fence posts however need to be multicoloured.

There are two ways I have attempted this and have run into problems in
both.

1) Within a PART using Curve Driven Pattern feature
Open a new part, create a simple cylindrical extrusion from origin
(the seed fence post).
Use split lines to create the faces on the extrusion.
Colour the faces individually.
Create the 3D sketch along which the fence posts will lay, starting at
origin.
Use the curve driven pattern function in SW to try and now pattern the
multicoured post along the 3D curve.

PROBLEM->>> SW doesnt seem to carry over the coloured faces on the
seed part which is a problem. I can instead manully create split lines
on each individual post and manually colour each individual face but
with 100's of posts this is impractical.

2) Within an ASSEMBLY using Component Pattern.
Insert a part representing a single multicoloured fence post and try
to pattern the part.
PROBLEM->>> I have not found a way for SW to pattern parts in an
assembly along a 2D or 3D curve.

I have tried an alternative to 1). Instead of creating split lines to
define the faces to be colured on the seed fence post, I instead
create a seed fence post made up of multiple solid bodies (each a
separate extrusion feature) and colour each solid body individually,
and pattern all those features along the 3D curve. However, with teh
number of fence posts I was looking at and the number of colured faces
on each fence post, SW basically crashed out/locked up (perhaps
dealing with too many solid bodies).

Any ideas on how to achieve the ends?

Thanks

Bull

 

Bull - Your first method worked fine for me. Make sure you select the
Propagate Visual Properties at the bottom of the tool. I am using 2007
which handles this color propagation better than it did in 2006.

Good luck,

Steve O

 

Thanks SteveO,

You are right. I tried it again ensuring that I select the solid body
from the tree (and not the extrusion feature from the tree) and it all
worked.

While I am here, I may as well ask if there is a way to pattern a part
in an assembly along a 3D curve (like you can pattern a feature/body
in a part), specifiying spacing etc.

Thanks

Bull

 

Bull - You could use the Feature Driven Pattern. The "Feature" comes
from a part feature which could be a curve driven pattern. This curve
driven pattern then drives a component in the assembly. Hope this
makes sense. If you need an example let me know and I can email you
something.

Steve O