Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
186
AutoCAD and Its Applications—Advanced
An example of where a 3D rectangular array may be created is the layout of struc-
tural columns on multiple fl oors of a commercial building. In Figure 8-12A, you can
see two concrete fl oor slabs of a building and a single structural column. It is now a
simple matter of arraying the column in rows, columns, and levels.
To draw a 3D rectangular array, select the
ARRAYRECT
command. Select the
object to array and press [Enter]. An initial pattern of three rows, four columns, and
one level forms. You can select one of the array grips and drag to increase or decrease
the number of rows, number of columns, or spacing dynamically. See Figure 8-12B.
Without exiting the command, you can then adjust the row, column, level, and spacing
values by using the
Array Creation
ribbon tab. See Figure 8-12C. In Figure 8-12D, there
are three rows, fi ve columns, and two levels. To set the number of levels and spacing
between levels, use the
Array Creation
ribbon tab, right-click and select
Levels
from the
shortcut menu, or use the prompts on the command line. Note that for the following
command sequence, the drawing units have been set to architectural.
Select grip to edit array or [ASsociative/Base point/COUnt/Spacing/COLumns/Rows/
Levels/eXit] eXit: R↵
Enter the number of rows or [Expression]
current:
3↵
Specify the distance between rows or [Total/Expression]
current:
10'↵
Specify the incrementing elevation between rows or [Expression] 0”: ↵
Select grip to edit array or [ASsociative/Base point/COUnt/Spacing/COLumns/
Rows/Levels/eXit] eXit: COL↵
Enter the number of columns or [Expression]
current:
5↵
Specify the distance between columns or [Total/Expression]
current:
10'↵
Select grip to edit array or [ASsociative/Base point/COUnt/Spacing/COLumns/
Rows/Levels/eXit] eXit: L↵
Enter the number of levels or [Expression] 1: 2↵
Specify the distance between levels or [Total/Expression]
current:
12'8"↵
Select grip to edit array or [ASsociative/Base point/COUnt/Spacing/COLumns/Rows/
Levels/eXit] eXit: ↵
The result is shown in Figure 8-12D. By default, an associative array is created. You
can create a non-associative array by selecting the
Associative
option. The
Associative
option setting is maintained by AutoCAD the next time an array command is
accessed. You can verify the current setting of this option after entering the command
and selecting objects. The
Associative = Yes
or
Associative = No
prompt appears. If the
Associative = No
prompt appears and you want to create an associative array, select the
Associative
option.
As shown in the previous sequence, when setting the distance between rows, you
can also defi ne an elevation increment between rows when the
Specify the incrementing
elevation between rows or [Expression] 0":
prompt appears. The elevation increment is
different from the distance between levels. The elevation increment sets the spacing
between rows along the Z axis so that each successive row is drawn on a higher or lower
plane. This option can also be used when creating a 3D polar array and is discussed
in the next section.
The
Base point
option is used to defi ne the base point for the array. By default, the
base point defi ned by AutoCAD is the centroid of the object(s) selected. You may want
to select a more logical base point, such as an endpoint of an edge or the center point
of a circular face. In Figure 8-12B, the center of the cylindrical base of the column has
been selected as the base point of the array.
If any of the properties of an associative array require changes, use the
ARRAYEDIT
command or the
Properties
palette to edit the array. The arrayed items will update
based on the changes. In Figure 8-12E, the array is shown after changing the number
of columns to 7 and the column spacing to 6′-8″.
ARRAYRECT
Ribbon
Home
Modify
Rectangular Array
Type
ARRAYRECT