Distributing a series of parts

steve_groom

I have created a design for a large box, the bottom of the box is made up of thirteen boards that are spaced out across the width of the box. The box has a mate connector aligned with a rabbet across the boxes’ width. I then have 13 parts (the boards) matched to the same mate connector using a slider mate.

This allows me to slide the boards into position - there is a slight gap between each board. But the spacing is not easy to get 100% even.

This was a lot of steps and I was wondering is there is a better way to evenly distribute a number of parts along a slider mate

NeilCooke

Have you tried linear pattern in assemblies?

NeilCooke

Have you tried linear pattern in assemblies?

steve_groom

Thank you for the quick response. I had not come across Linear Patterns. That gets pretty close to a solution, but the resulting parts are not mated, so if I move the back of the box, the base boards are left behind. 

bruce_williams

@steve_groom

Can you use Group?  If you do not need the boards to move independently that should be perfect.

john_mcclary

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/28050bca2b1ddeb0acbab720/w/72369ffa7faabbf84de28ab1/e/2ac9b2d481dcced12fc4252f

See above link for an example of linear pattern in assembly.
You will need to mate the "seed" part to the back board you want to move with

steve_groom

Thanks’ for all the responses. In the end I created a subassembly with three parts - end board, mid board, end board. I then used a fastened connector to connect end board to first mid board, then a linear pattern to repeat the mid boards and finally another fastened connector to complete the subassembly.

best
Steve 

steve_groom

bruce_williams said:

@steve_groom

Can you use Group?  If you do not need the boards to move independently that should be perfect.

If I were to start from scratch and the parts started out aligned, the group would have been the easiest option. I find the mates approach allows me to get everything neatly oriented. So much more to learn.

Regards
Steve