Replicating Patterns

[micheus]

Lets try this...

I'm not sure I understood your point.

First point is about those isolated vertices for welding.

When we are talking about patterns we are talking about "planning".
So, we need to predict if we need to leave "extra" vertices thinking forward when we are going to weld the replicated pattern. Just in case we need that, because if it's OK we just Combine the objects, then there is no need for that.

This pattern is worse because its border is partially match the pattern elements - so the selection an edges to delete after replication and welding is far more complicated.

Not necessarily.
I believe you are going to find a really trick one soon, but this one still have a solution. Just change the way you select the boundaries region to clean up:




My goal here was to show a easy way to replicate objects using the Absolute Commands->Move [MMB] - which I used the pattern idea, but it can be applied to other goals.

It's possible to use the Absolute Commands->Snap [RMB] too, which has other extra option. Both can be considered commands of Array Tools which we see in other 3D apps.