Update: Please vote on this Top 10 idea:

Enhance Variable Pattern's Functionality

This is another post from the "Missing 5% functionality that makes users avoid this tool" novella.

The Variable Pattern can be considered the most powerful "macro-feature" in SOLIDWORKS. It can be responsible for reducing the FeatureManager Tree of complex parts by a factor of 10 or more. 

It is the only pattern that accepts as input:

• 2D Sketches
• 3D Sketches
• Planes
• Axes
• Reference Points

Please watch this video to see the full power of the Variable Pattern and an explanation of the opportunities for enhancing its functionality.

It was most likely written by a genius developer who, unfortunately, got bored just before fully adding all the functionality it deserves. The result is a big tease that could turn into frustration for many users.  

Fortunately, the work required to make this feature fully functional is less than 5% of the original.

Let's see what is missing:

• It cannot output individual bodies. Imagine the power of this tool if you can quickly generate "parametric" bodies based on a large number of planes, sketches, features, all driven by a nice, simple, clean table!
• It cannot be linked to an Excel Table. Again, imagine the freedom and possibilities for this tool as a mini-DriveWorks running inside SOLIDWORKS! WOW!!!
• The new sketches, planes, axes and reference points that are created are not visible and accessible in the tree or in the graphics areas. If they would be listed, we will achieve the Holy Grail of SOLIDWORKS: the ability to pattern sketches, planes, axes, driven by a table!!!
• Cannot create a Pattern Driven Pattern using a Variable Pattern
• Cannot pattern Surface Features

Vote on:

• SPR 793105: Cannot create pattern driven pattern with variable pattern as driving pattern.
• SPR 922929: Ability to use variable pattern in pattern driven component pattern
• SPR 661855: Variable pattern should support bodies to be patterned with variable linear/angular pitch
• SPR 1098111: Ability to link Variable Pattern table to external Excel table file in order to transfer changes from Excel table to pattern and vice versa.
• SPR 906031: Ability pattern surface features using Variable Pattern