AutoCAD Inventor :: Sheet Metal - Part Won't Flatten
Sep 17, 2013
Its been a long while since I have run into something that I have drawn which I cannot get to flatten. I am using Inventor 2011. If you can get it to work in 2012 or later, then I guess it is just time I upgrade.
The part i make is from solid model>The part needs to be in sheet metal.What steps do i use to make as sheet metal part and have option to flatten part.
I have an elbow with a slit on the other side and would like to use Flatten feature in sheet metal. How do I do it? I tried but an error pops-up, what does it mean.
A collegue asked me about this as he has been given a part to model and the details are for the flat sheet not the finished model. Is this possible in 'sheet metal'? I had a quick play but couldn't work it out. Im used to creating the finished part and 'un-folding' to get the flat pattern.Detail supplied below.
I set up our company log which gets embossed on most parts as a sketch block in an .ipt. The .ipt contains nothing but the sketch block. To use it, the designer only needs to derive the Logo.ipt file into their part and then use the scale setting to set the derived block to the desired size for that part. The result is a scalable set of line geometry that can easily be used for extrusion or emboss that is standard for all users. It works beautifully, that is until you try to use it in a sheet metal part in 2012.
For some reason, when this same part, which works perfectly in normal parts, is derived into a sheet metal part an error pops up stating that, "Selected part does not have any geometry that can be derived." Say what?
I was able to find a workaround by directly copying the block into the sheet metal part, but you no longer have the ability to go back and scale it if needed. Even more strange, when the block was copied over, it could not be deleted from the new part.
Is this just a bug with 2012? Why does it work in a normal part but not sheet metal?
convert the part that I have drawn to sheet metal. I have tried to make the part from sheet metal and it did not work out at all. I have attached both versions of the part.
In previous releases (2009 i think) when i converted a standard part to a sheet metal part i could recall all the sheet metal styles by linking back to the sheet metal template (i can't remember exactly how this was done, but it was possible with one operation)
In 2011 i canot find a quick way of doing this, it looks like i have to open the sheet metal template and export each different style (about 40 of them) and then import each one into the converted part. am i missing something? is there a simpler way similar to how it used to be done? Why have Autodesk made this more difficult?
As it stands at the moment it would be quicker for me to remodel the parts from scratch using the sheet metal template. I know this is the obvious solution, but seems strange to change something that worked well to something that doesn't!
I made a part in sheet metal and used the Cut tool for cut-outs...i tried by using flatten Patern,draw sketch but this did not cut part...is there a more better way of making these cuts?
For whatever reason this part was not modeled as a sheet metal part from the beginning, but now we would like to convert it to one. But when the "Convert to Sheet Metal" button is pressed, an error message pops up saying "This model cannot be converted to Sheet Metal because it contains features that have created multiple bodies. In order to convert to Sheet Metal these features must first be removed". The only way I can get this message to go away is to delete all the features. This part is used in a few weldments, so I'd rather not have to redraw it, but I'm at a loss as to why it can't be converted.
I have a 14 gauge sheet metal part that follows the profile in the attached picture. 7/8" legs with a 1/16" offset. Because it's 14 gauge, the contour flange won't create it. I need it to be able to be turned in to a flat pattern so that I may export it to a .dxf.
Is there another way to make this that will allow me to flat pattern it? I have a couple of pieces like this where the offset is very slim, so I am looking for a way to do all of them like this.
I have attached a sheet metal part (2014 .ipt) and am having issues trying to use the rip command, maybe my understanding of the rip command is unclear, and I should probably just create a sketch and extrude a slit.
Using the image below as a reference,
What I want to do is to create a rip or slit from P1 to P2, which will give me face C. After this rip, I want to bend face C at P1 so that it is parallel to face A, leaving face B at its current state.
(the construction lines are from the existing frame that this will be welded to.)
My 2 solutions are to create this slit using the extrude command then fold, or to cut face C out completely and add a flange to that cut edge. I am just curious why the rip command is not letting me create a slit from P1 to P2.
I drew a very funky bracket in IV 2012. I tried using the sheet metal features but they wouldn't cooperate with the funky geometry. I ended up having to draw to sketch profiles, lofting to create a thin feature, and thickning it to material thickness. But this left me without any real bends that the unfold tool can recognize. I tried using the unfold tool (I know that's not what it's for) but it gave me some very funky geometry. I tried ripping out the lofted bends, which worked great, but that leaves me with twisted edges that the bend tool can't grab. how to either model this using the sheetmaetal tools, or how to make this thing unfold?
I have a sheet metal part. It is a machine door with four edge flanges. I have mirrored this part. The origin part has flat pattern while the mirrored creates the folded pattern.
It still folded even when origin is in flat pattern.
The part in the attachment was made in catia. The main face is curved in two directions. In my language we call this a "double curved surface" this is possible to generate a flat pattern from in catia. How to do this in inventor?
I created a part that spans between two other pieces. The original part model does not have a twist in the "flat" surfaces, so it unfolds just fine, but it also does not represent the way the actual part fits, so it is difficult to determine if any other parts are fitting correctly up to it.
I had a problem getting a part to unfold before, and I was shown a method of creating a surface body and a thicken, which I have done with this part, but as of yet have had no success unfolding this part.
Is there anything that I can do since the sides are twisted and not planar?
I have a sheet metal part drawn up that I can't manufacture as modeled. The solution is to convert it from a two bend part into two single bend parts that will then be welded together. (I have an iLogic configurator that spit it out or else I would have drawn it right in the first place) Normally I would split it into two solids and derive them into two parts, but because Inventor still doesn't support multi-body sheet metal (this is something I curse about daily, by the way...) I would have to convert it to a standard part first.
The problem here is, I have a ton of edits done to my flat pattern. I have an extruded tab that's needed for my press brake operator that later gets cut off, and I have a fairly complex sketch that I use to program my laser with etch lines for my welders to use. How I can accomplish converting this into right/left parts without having to redo my flat pattern edits?
Can a curved section with bend be applied to sheet metal part.I make extrusion for easier clarity.I am wanting to place the curved section (extrusion for demonstration purpose) with bend in sheet metal part but all created in the sheet metal environment.
Part of my job is to lay out blanks of 3D models so the blank can be sent out and cut. Is there a way to convert an Inventor ipt file to a flat blank? I have tried "convert to Sheet Metal" but Inventor reads the pre-bent part as the flat layout. I am currently using Inventor 2013. i attached a drawing for an example.
I am having difficulties creating a creating a sheet metal part in Autodesk Inventor to be able to create a flat pattern. I attached a PDF of the part I'm trying to create. The first page is the item I am trying to create. The next page are the 2 pieces I've been able to construct in Inventor but I can't seem to figure out a way to make it together. I also attached the Inventor model I was able to create.
I have a very simple solid that consists of a lofted solid that was the "hollowed" out via the Shell command
The sketches used to make this lofted solid were two dimensionally similar rectangles. One has radiused corners while the other does not. These rectangles exist on 2 separate planes that are 10" apart. This part (Shroud1.ipt) is supposed to represent a shroud that will be installed between the intake and exhaust of an air filter.
I wanted to convert this to a sheet metal part and then unfold it so I could see what the flat pattern looked like. However, when I attempt to use the "Unfold" command it fails. Similarly, the Flat Pattern command fails as well.
What do I need to do to get this into a flat? I'd rather not redraw this as a sheet metal part. I'm not that familiar with that environment.