Pattern ID

I've been trying to include the &p# notation in notes and have been
having trouble determining what the pattern ID is for the pattern.
Please help.

 

Select the pattern, RMB 'Edit' to get the dimensions governing the pattern and the
text that says "11 protrusions". Then do 'Info>Switch Dimensions'. This will give
you the symbolic pattern ID to use in your note which is looking for pX. (You can
also select the 11 and do RMB 'Properties' to show the symbolic value of the
pattern.) Your drawing should reference &pX, but show up, on screen, as '11'. You
must supply the narrative text: &p6 HOLES which will display as 11 HOLES.

 

this works Thank you but I'm still having problems with fill patterns

 

Yup, you're absolutely right, you can't show the pattern definition of a fill
pattern as you can with the dimensional one. That's because it doesn't pattern by
varying placement reference dimensions by some increment. Try to convert a fill
pattern to a dimension driven one. In some cases, it might be possible but it was
always very awkward. The fill pattern was invented to do a type of patterning that
was difficult or impossible otherwise. Take the spiral pattern, for instance. It
gives you a center to center spacing, a radial increment and a starting angle.
But, from this information, you couldn't convert this pattern to a dimensional
one. The generation of the spiral is internal and each instance does not move by
varying the original placement reference dimensions. To prove it to yourself,
double click any hole in the spiral pattern to get its dimensions: they all show
the original placement dims, unvaried. There is no pX to show. I think it's the
sheer convenience that presents this limitation. Previously, to get a similar
result, it was necessary to generate a spiral curve, pattern an axis that was
placed offset from one end, then do a reference pattern of a hole. But at least
there were some, albeit awkward, dimensions to 'Edit', that would show up as
parameters with 'Info>Switch Dims'. None of the internal parameters of the fill
pattern are accessible with 'Edit' or any way outside of the pattern Dashboard.