AECOsim Building Designer - Add Insulation Pattern to Slabs

In Dataset Explorer copy the slab part to your project dataset, rename it with the suffix _Insulation.

In the Cut Patterns definition:

1. Tick in the Pattern column
2. Change the Pattern type to Patterning
3. Set the pattern cell to 'baten' (this should be available, I think it is in all datasets)
4. Set the pattern size to maybe 0.25, you will probably need to play around with the size to get it right
5. Commit your changes to the dataset.

In DataGroup Explorer:

1. Copy the existing Slab item
2. Find the property Part Definition, change it from the existing slab part to your new *_Insulation part
3. Save changes.

The new slab should show up in the available slabs when you start the place slab tool, if not click the Refresh library icon in the tool.

The pattern can't interactively re-flood/scale to fill the slab depth so if you get the pattern size right for a particular slab depth it will be cropped for thinner slabs or will repeat for thicker slabs.

The options for dealing with this are:

1. don't mind about the pattern being cropped or repeated (but some drawings will look messy so not my choice!) 
2. create a number of slab parts for specific thicknesses (but you will still get cropping or repeating for tapered slabs)
3. keep it simple and avoid the crop/repeat issue by using a different pattern such as honeycomb that seamlessly fills the slab regardless of size, if that is acceptable to the project CAD standards. After all the insulation type is specified, the graphic is just indicative.  This also handles curved forms if the part is applied to them.

This example is a 150mm slab using the GB Dataset and the 'baten' pattern:

and with the 'honey' pattern: