---
alias: user-guide-create-sampling-pattern
description: "Create a sampling pattern defining selection rules and modes for material processing"
---

# Create Sampling Pattern

:lock: SamplingPattern.**Create**

:lock: SamplingPattern.**CreateTemplate**

:lock: SamplingPattern.**CreateFromTemplate**

## Overview

This operation is used to create a **Sampling Pattern**. A template can also be created using a similar procedure and there is also the possibility of using a template to create the new object as well. This selection can be done in the main entity menu.

## Setup

No specific setup is required other than to meet the preconditions of the transaction.

## Preconditions

* The **Sampling Pattern** does not currently exist in the system.

## Sequence of Steps

### Step 1: General Data

1. Provide a name for the **Sampling Pattern**.
2. Optionally, provide a description of the **Sampling Pattern**.
3. Select the Sampling Pattern type. The list of possible values is taken from the [[samplingpatterntype-lt]] Lookup Table.
4. Select the Sampling Pattern Mode:

      * Manual: sampling selection is defined manually
      * Rule: sampling selection will be set by a user defined rule
      * System: uses a pre-defined system sampling pattern

5. If the Sampling Pattern Mode is Manual:

      * Define the sampling selection by specifying the Container and Position of the Sub-Materials using a colon-separated format, e.g., 'Container:Position',with each container-position pair separated by semicolons. For example: 'C:1,R:1;C:Right-1,R:Bottom+2;C:2,A:1'. If the **Material** arrives at the Step in only one Container, you can omit the Container portion entirely, e.g., 'R:5;R:2;R:3'.

    !!! note
        The Position can be either Absolute (A) or Relative (R). However, both R and P can be used when referencing relative positions. The Absolute Position does not reference Bottom or Top positioning.

        Containers are sorted by name, so C:1 refers to the container with the lowest name.

6. If the Sampling Pattern Mode is Rule:

      * Define the **Rule** of scope SamplingSelection to be used to evaluate and apply the Sampling Selection.

7. If the Sampling Pattern Mode is System:

      * Define the source Form of the **Materials**.
      * Define the count of **Materials** to be sampled, and whether the count is an absolute number or if it refers to a percentage.
      * Select one of the pre-defined selection methods:
          * Bottom - **Materials** are selected at the bottom for each **Container**
          * Middle - **Materials** are selected at the middle of each **Container**
          * Random - **Materials** are selected at random for each **Container**
          * Spread - **Materials** are selected as to maximize the spread within a **Container**
          * Top - **Materials** are selected at the top of each **Container**
      * Select one of the pre-defined sequencing methods:
          * BottomUpLeftRight - **Materials** are sequenced bottom-up (within the **Container**) and left (lowest **Container** name) to right (highest **Container** name)
          * BottomUpRightLeft - **Materials** are sequenced bottom-up (within the **Container**) and right (highest **Container** name) to left (lowest **Container** name)
          * None - **Materials** are not sequenced, meaning that any Material can be processed at any time
          * TopDownLeftRight - **Materials** are sequenced top-down (within the **Container**) and left (lowest **Container** name) to right (highest **Container** name)
          * TopDownRightLeft - **Materials** are sequenced top-down (within the **Container**) and right (highest **Container** name) to left (lowest **Container** name)

![Screenshot showing a user interface with a field labeled "Create Sampling Pattern".](images/create_sampling_pattern.png)