Arraying Entities

Command: ARRAY

The Array command copies a selection set in a rectangular or polar (circular) pattern. For a rectangular array you must specify the number of rows and columns and also the spacing between subsequent rows and columns. To create a polar array you will be prompted to specify the center point of the array, the rotation step and the number of items in the array or the angle to fill. You can choose to rotate the selection set about the center point or to keep its original orientation.

Creating a rectangular array

  1. Do one of the following:

  2. Click the 2D Array tool button () on the Modify toolbar.

  3. Choose 2D Array in the Modify menu.

  4. Type AR or array in the command bar, then press Enter.

The command bar reads: Select entities to array:

  1. Select the entities, then right click or press Enter.
    The command bar reads: Polar/<Rectangular>:

  1. Choose Rectangular in the prompt menu or type R in the command bar and press Enter.

The command bar reads: Number of rows in the array <1>:

  1. Type the number of rows in the command bar, then press Enter.
    The command bar reads: Number of columns in the array <1>:

  2. Type the number of columns in the command bar, then press Enter.
    The command bar reads: Vertical distance between rows, or spacing rectangle:

  3. Type the distance between the rows of the array and press Enter.
    The command bar reads: Horizontal distance between columns:

  4. To define the distance between the columns of the array, do one of the following:

  5. Type the distance in the command bar and press Enter.

  6. Specify the distance by clicking two points.

The array is created.

 

Row spacing (A) and column spacing (B) can be defined by the spacing rectangle (red).

 

NOTE

Positive values in steps 4 and 5 are measured along the positive X- and Y-axis of the current UCS. Negative values are measured in the opposite direction.

Creating a polar array

  1. Do one of the following:

  2. Click the 2D Array tool button () on the Modify toolbar.

  3. Choose 2D Array in the Modify menu.

  4. Type AR or array in the command bar, then press Enter.

The command bar reads: Select entities to array:

  1. Select the entities, then right click or press Enter.
    The command bar reads: Polar/<Rectangular>:

  1. Choose Polar in the prompt menu or type P in the command bar and press Enter.

The command bar reads: Base/Center of polar array:

  1. Specify the center point of the polar array.
    The command bar reads: ENTER  to specify angle between items/<Number of items to array>:

  2. Type the number of items in the array, then press Enter.
    The command bar reads: Angle to array (+ for ccw, - for cw) <360>:

  3. Do one of the following:

  4. Type the angle to array, then press Enter.

  5. Press Enter to create a 360° array.

The command bar reads: Rotate entities around the array? No/<Yes>

  1. Do one of the following:

  2. Press Enter to rotate the entities about the center point of the array.

  3. Type N and press Enter to keep the original orientation of the entities.

The array is created.

 

Entities rotated (left) or not (right) about the center point of the array.

Creating a polar array with base point

  1. Do one of the following:

  2. Click the 2D Array tool button () on the Modify toolbar.

  3. Choose 2D Array in the Modify menu.

  4. Type AR or array in the command bar, then press Enter.

The command bar reads: Select entities to array:

  1. Select the entities, then right click or press Enter.
    The command bar reads: Polar/<Rectangular>:

  1. Do one of the following:

  2. Type P in the command bar, then press Enter.

  3. Choose Polar in the prompt menu.

The command bar reads: Base/Center of polar array:

  1. Choose Base in the prompt menu or type B and press Enter.
    The command bar reads: Base of polar array entities.

  2. Specify the base point for the rotation of the selection set.
    The command bar reads: Center point of array:

  3. Specify the center point of the array.
    The command bar reads: ENTER  to specify angle between items/<Number of items to array>:

  4. Type the number of items in the array, then press Enter.
    The command bar reads: Angle to array (+ for ccw, - for cw) <360>:

  5. Do one of the following:

  6. Type the angle to array the press Enter.

  7. Press Enter to create a 360° array.

The command bar reads: Rotate entities around the array? No/<Yes>

  1. Type N and press Enter to keep the original orientation of the entities.
    The array is created.

 

Polar array with base point (dot) and center point (cross).

 

NOTE

If you choose to rotate the entities about the center point in the final step of the array procedure, the selection of a base point does not influence the result.

Specify the angle between the items when creating a polar array

  1. Do one of the following:

  2. Click the 2D Array tool button () on the Modify toolbar.

  3. Choose 2D Array in the Modify menu.

  4. Type AR or array in the command bar, then press Enter.

The command bar reads: Select entities to array:

  1. Select the entities, then right click or press Enter.
    The command bar reads: Polar/<Rectangular>:

  1. Choose Polar in the prompt menu or type P in the command bar, then press Enter.
    The command bar reads: Base/Center of polar array:

  2. Specify the center of the polar array.
    The command bar reads: ENTER to specify angle between items/<Number of items to array>:

  3. Press Enter.
    The command bar reads: Angle to array (+ for ccw, - for cw) <360>:

  4. Specify the angle to array, then press Enter.
    The command bar reads: Angle between items:

  5. Specify the angle between the items and press Enter.
    The command bar reads: Rotate entities around the array? No/<Yes>:

  6. Do one of the following:

  7. Press Enter to rotate the entities.

  8. Type N, then press Enter to keep the original orientation of the entities.

The array is created.

 

NOTE

This procedure can also be used to rotate a selection set and keep the original.

 

 

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