The Brew Cabin

is there a computer programme for working out patterns for a patio. I have the dimensions but there are nine different sizes and it would be nice to know how many slabs i need of each size and it would be easier to lay looking at a pattern
thanks woody

Hi Woody,

there's no prog that can take a randomly-shaped area and generate a pattern using a set of pre-determined size flags- I've been trying to develop one since the days of the ZX81, and failed miserably!

A friend in the maths and computing business in Cambridge tells me this is known as the "Knapsack Problem" and is used to define how many ways a given number of 'pieces' can fit into a given shape. Apparently, it's been taxing better brains than mine for many years!

However, Bradstone have a gizmo that can generate a sort-of random pattern for their products for a rectangular area, but there's a few problems with it, not least of which is piecing-in around the edges and 'wastage'.

I have some layouts for 9-size patio flags and I can create a custom layout, in colour, in exchange for a few beers. Have a look at those I've put on the Random Layout page - if that's the sort of thing you want, then tony@pavingexpert.com me.