Reusing a pattern in multiple separate parts?

[kefir]

Seems I managed to figure something out. I used the Part -> Attachment.. tool. Started by choosing only the edge of the sketch that I wanted to connect to the solid (and not the entire sketch). Then I chose Part -> Attachment, and chose the edge I wanted to connect to. I chose Attachment mode Inertia 2-3 (I have no idea what this means, but I tried them all), which connected my sketch to the correct centerpoint, but it was rotated wrong. So I changed Pitch to 90deg and Roll to 90deg, and that seems to be just what I need - perfect alignment.

If there's another, easier way to do this, let me know. But this seems to solve what I need.

By the way, when I say Sketch above, I mean Draft Clone every time. All the parts I'm working with are draft clones of a master sketch.

Screenshot from 2019-02-25 20-51-36.png (157.67 KiB) Viewed 114 times

Edit: Just choose the edge to connect to, no need to select two vertices like I wrote initially.

[DeepSOIC]

i feel the need for creating a reusable pattern to include in several part designs.

Check out Lattice2 add-on, it does exactly that: allows you to reuse patterns, and to re-use design elements.

[kefir]

I'd like to try to connect the male and female end connectors to the main part. In the attached file I've sort of placed the connectors in approximately the place and padded them there. I didn't do the math, so it's visibly off it. I was hoping there was some way to snap the sketches on to the edge of the solid, so that they rotate and translate to the correct location. Then I could simply pad them there and keep everything parametric. Is this possible?

Yes, it's possible, but I think you're over-complicating the design. Why not make the curved blank all in one Pad:

and afterwards use another Sketch and Subtractive Sweep it to make the grooves?

Sorry, I missed this comment initially. I guess the idea is that if I'm planning to design several different tracks, consisting of curves, sharp curves, straight segments, and hill segments, all with the same end connectors, same profiles, and of various lengths, hopefully keeping as much as possible parametric, I actually think it's worth it. I'd still have to do some extra work for the various intersections, so the ideal solution might use subtractive sweeps anyway. But I'm not sure I'm going to take this all the way, this is mostly a learning process for me.

I think the workflow turned out ok in the end, and it seems I've managed to make everything parametric. I went ahead and recorded a youtube video of the workflow, so that this might hopefully be of use to someone else as well. I've watched a bunch of youtube videos on FreeCAD, and find many really helpful. Perhaps I can pass it on to someone else.

phpBB [video]