--- title: Step 4. Defining a Pattern description: Patterns allow you to position all of the stops along a route. --- [Skip to content](https://support.podaris.com/step-4.-defining-a-pattern#main-content) English Show submenu for translations ![podaris\_logo\_png.png\]](https://support.podaris.com/hs-fs/hubfs/podaris_logo_png.png?height=50&name=podaris_logo_png.png) Open main navigation Close main navigation - English Show submenu for translations - [Go to podaris.com](https://podaris.com/) [Go to podaris.com](https://podaris.com/) Podaris Support Centre - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Help Center](https://support.podaris.com/?hsLang=en) 2. [Scheduled Services](https://support.podaris.com/scheduled-services?hsLang=en) 3. [Creating a Route (Tutorial)](https://support.podaris.com/scheduled-services?hsLang=en#creating-a-route-tutorial) # Step 4. Defining a Pattern ## Patterns allow you to position all of the stops along a route. 1. From inside the ‘Patterns’ tab, click the ![](https://support.podaris.com/hubfs/add_layer-4.jpg) button to create a new pattern. After doing so, the service tool should become selected, and show the pattern’s name in the tool options. 2. Click on the map to create a station. There should now be a line that follows your cursor as it moves. This is now the first stop on our definition. 3. Click further south to add another stop. Continue adding stops in a loop until you reach the first stop we created. ![Fulham pattern](https://support.podaris.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-Jul-15-2020-02-00-20-02-PM.png?width=499&name=image-Jul-15-2020-02-00-20-02-PM.png) 4. Click on ‘Station 1’ again to stop adding stops. You should then see a list of stops along the pattern in the tool options. 5. Stops along the definition can be removed or replaced from the ![services tool](https://support.podaris.com/hubfs/image-Jul-09-2020-07-22-18-11-PM.png) panel. 6. Click ![save](https://support.podaris.com/hubfs/image-Jul-09-2020-07-21-17-48-PM.png) to update the route with the pattern we have just defined. 7. You should also see the pattern we created shown on the map. It is translucent as it is currently inactive since there are no trips running on it. Continue to ['Step 5. Creating a Trip'...](https://support.podaris.com/step-5?hsLang=en) ![outbound pattern](https://support.podaris.com/hubfs/image-png-Apr-25-2021-10-50-42-21-PM.png)Outbound/Inbound allow you to toggle the direction of the pattern you are currently editing. Because we have created a looping pattern, we only need to define the outbound direction. ![selected segments](https://support.podaris.com/hubfs/image-png-Apr-25-2021-11-02-27-95-PM.png)The stops along a pattern are linked by ‘segments’, which can either be ‘Manual’ or ‘Auto’. 'Auto' segments will follow the existing road network. 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