I want to Grid array a 2D rectangle (made with rectangle or line tools) in the Front view with 2 columns and 5 rows.

1) I enter Number of Copies, x=na, y=0, z=nb and Enter Spacing dimensions, x=da, y=0, z=db with x and z values entered. Nothing happens.

2) If I enter Number of Copies, y=0, Spacing, y>0, with x and z values left unchanged, it works.

3) If I enter Number of Copies, y>0, Spacing, y=0, with x and z values left unchanged, again nothing.

I have checked the manual and successfully arrayed using direction and circular.

Am I missing something?

Leonard

Hi Leonard, are you picking the spacing rectangle with the mouse in the Front view?

The way that Array grid works, is that it will take the X and Y axes for the array to be from the construction plane of the view that you click in for the spacing rectangle.

So for instance if you click the mouse in the Front view to draw the spacing rectangle, then the X and Y axes used will be that local view's X and Y axes, not the world axes.

That's to allow you to get 2D type array behavior in any view that you click in.

So that means to do a 2 x 5 array in the front view, for number of copies you will want to enter:

Number in X = 2
Number in Y = 5
Number in Z = 1

In this case "Number in X" really means: "Number in the horizontal direction of the viewport's grid that you click in", and "Number in Y" really means: "Number in the vertical direction of the viewport's grid that you click in", if that helps to make more sense.

Then click your spacing rectangle in the front view and you should have your array. If you want to enter in your spacing numerically, then click just the first point of the spacing rectangle in the Front view so it picks up that view's grid, and then you can enter the spacing values.

So to summarize, treat the Front view as if it were temporarily a 2D view with X meaning the Front grid's horizontal, and Y meaning the Front grid's vertical directions.


The reason why array grid works like this is so that it is able to work on any local grid setup (including if you have oriented the grid to some other location temporarily with View / Cplane) rather than only restricted to work in world axis directions only.

Please let me know if it is still giving you trouble.

- Michael

Hi Michael,

Yep, I believe I understand your explanation; the viewport (Top, Front, Right, etc.) becomes a 2D port with only the X and Y axes. After initial failures, I got it to work. Clicking the corner is the key.

Also, what purpose does the Number Z=1 serve? Why not enter a 0? (Along with corner clicking, Z=1 is surprisingly arcane for the easy to use Moi)

Thanks for the usual excellent help.

Leonard

Hi Leonard, re: Z = 1, that's just the most natural way that things work out...

For example, here is an array with
Number in X = 3
Number in Y = 3
Number in Z = 3



So as you can see, 27 total items (3 * 3 * 3).

Now going down one step and reducing Number in Z = 2 results in this:



So there it has 18 total items (3 * 3 * 2).

So then following along, reducing to Number in Z = 1, results in this:



So that's 9 total items (3 * 3 * 1).


That's why having only a single layer in z (the default when you start up the command) means having Number in Z = 1.

If it instead had Z = 0 as the default, then it would be kind of strange, since intuitively you would think increasing the Z amount by 1 would result in more items in Z. But you can see from the above progression that the result for Number in Z = 1 should be one layer so that all of X, Y, and Z behave the same.

- Michael

Um, expectation overrides focus. Duh! In cad, with a 2D object grid array grays out the 3D option and I expected Moi to work similarly. But, *in that cad app*, a 2D object is limited to 2D.

I hope your response came from a file and you did not spend too much time on it. Your hat collection no doubt includes "patient teacher". Kudos!

Thanks,

Leonard

Hi Leonard, yup basically the way MoI works in this case is due to the array command working optionally in 3D for all objects.

Don't worry, that only took me a moment to make those example images, I've gotten very good at snapping those out really quickly! :)

- Michael