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Hi MMMurray, ok, lol, I’m going to make an attempt at this because I see that no one has responded yet, and I THINK I have a little understanding of it, and I’m sure others will make it clearer than I, but this is a start? 🙂
If you are talking about CAGED (patterns), since all 6 strings of the guitar contain the same 12 notes that make up the given notes (octave) on the strings, those identical notes are in different places on the fretboard (taking into account octaves). Since they are the same notes in different places (taking into account octaves) you can play chords and scales “all over the fretboard” by moving the shape of the chord or scale to a different place along the fretboard/neck, [and making up for the fact that you would have to represent the “nut” (end) of the fretboard with a finger across the strings (“bar”).]
So you can take the “C” chord of the CAGED and move it down the neck (away from the nut) 1/2 measure (fret) and you will get C # (finger over where the “nut” would be = “bar”). And you can move it one more fret (a whole measure, now), and it becomes D. The shape will be the same shape as a C chord, but the chord will be a D because you moved the SHAPE down the neck, to a higher note. And so on. That’s a beginning? 🙂 And that’s my understanding of what I think you are asking.