Reference Section > Shape Library > Other Shapes

The Array of Disks/Holes shape is a rectangular grid of circles, all the same diameter, set out in columns and rows at a fixed horizontal and vertical pitch. Use it wherever a rectangular grid of round holes or disks is needed, for example a bolt pattern or a perforated panel.

It appears in the shapes library under Basic Shapes and Other Shapes.

Insert point and direction

The insert point is the origin of the shape, placed in the drawing by Base X and Base Y. The first hole is centred on the insert point moved by Hole Offset X and Hole Offset Y. With both offsets at 0, the centre of the bottom left hole is the insert point. The columns are built from there in +X, one Horiz. Pitch apart, and the rows in +Y, one Vert. Pitch apart.

Every hole is a separate closed circle, or a single point when Hole D is 0. They are created row by row, starting with the bottom row and working left to right along each row.

The Horiz. Pitch and Vert. Pitch dimensions are drawn from the centre of the first hole to the centre of the next hole along X and along Y. Hole D is dimensioned on the first hole.

Properties

Property	Description	Default
Num. of Cols	Number of holes along X in each row. Whole number, minimum 1.	3
Num. of Rows	Number of rows along Y. Whole number, minimum 1.	2
Hole D	Diameter of every hole (length, 0 or more). A Hole D of 0 gives a single point at each hole centre instead of a circle.	12.5 mm (0.5 in when working in inches)
Horiz. Pitch	Centre-to-centre distance between neighbouring columns (length, 0 or more).	25 mm (1 in)
Vert. Pitch	Centre-to-centre distance between neighbouring rows (length, 0 or more).	25 mm (1 in)
Hole Offset X	Moves the whole grid along X relative to the insert point (length). Negative values are allowed.	0
Hole Offset Y	Moves the whole grid along Y relative to the insert point (length). Negative values are allowed.	0

Notes

•The property page does not accept a negative pitch or Hole D, so the grid always builds up and to the right of the first hole. Hole Offset X and Hole Offset Y move the whole grid. To change the direction the grid is built in, use the Rotation or Mirroring X transform properties.

•Hole Offset X and Hole Offset Y let the insert point sit somewhere other than on a hole – for example on the corner of the plate the pattern is measured from.

•The shape does not check for overlapping holes. If a pitch is smaller than Hole D the neighbouring circles overlap, and a pitch of 0 puts holes exactly on top of each other. Set each pitch larger than Hole D, plus enough web between holes for the process.

•The minimums in the table are enforced by the property page; the shape code itself does not check ranges. If building the shape raises an error, the property page shows a red bar reading Warning: Cannot build shape from these parameters. The holes are then replaced by a broken-shape marker at the insert point, and no dimensions are drawn.

•For a circle of holes on a pitch circle diameter, use a single Disk/Hole with the Polar Array properties instead.

Every 2D shape also has the Transform properties (Base X, Base Y, Rotation, Scale, Mirroring X) and the Polar Array properties, listed after the shape's own properties.