Community
Inventor Forum
Welcome to Autodesk’s Inventor Forums. Share your knowledge, ask questions, and explore popular Inventor topics.
cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Flattening part of a curved surface.

12 REPLIES 12
Reply
Message 1 of 13
jar1
4423 Views, 12 Replies

Flattening part of a curved surface.

Hello All,

 

I am having trouble with a little pet/school project. I am trying to design a new mold for some sailing rudders I am building. The files I have for the current molds are in the IGS format, which Inventor can open. The current rudders are convex going from the widest part of the foil down to the trailing edge. The goal is to create another model with this flattened. If I were doing this in logic it would be: Find max height, alter foil to be straight from max height to trailing edge. I have tried everything I can do to make this happen with no avail. what would be optimal is if I could get it set up so that I can easily control the amount of convexness to the aft section, but the primary goal is to just get it to be straight. The trailing edge is the straighter one.

 

Any suggestions, ideas, miracle workers? The final goal is to export to g-code and send off to a cnc.

I have attached the files after I have imported them into autodesk, but below is a link to the original iges files.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yveu2k7z91lmgql/yoYEuNtVyd

 


Thanks!

12 REPLIES 12
Message 2 of 13
blair
in reply to: jar1

These shapes are currently beyond the Sheet-Metal capabilities of Inventor to produce a flattened shape.


Inventor 2020, In-Cad, Simulation Mechanical

Just insert the picture rather than attaching it as a file
Did you find this reply helpful ? If so please use the Accept as Solution or Kudos button below.
Delta Tau Chi ΔΤΧ

Message 3 of 13
jar1
in reply to: blair

Why does it need to be done as a sheet metal output? Is my only option to somehow redesign the entire object, and if so, how would one do that for a complex airfoil modeled simply off an existing airfoil.

Message 4 of 13
blair
in reply to: jar1

The only portion of Inventor that allows for "Flattening" is the Sheet-Metal module. You would have better luck trying a third party add-in such as AutoPol for complex compound shape surfaces.

 

Really think of the S-M module as work that is done in a Brake.


Inventor 2020, In-Cad, Simulation Mechanical

Just insert the picture rather than attaching it as a file
Did you find this reply helpful ? If so please use the Accept as Solution or Kudos button below.
Delta Tau Chi ΔΤΧ

Message 5 of 13
JDMather
in reply to: jar1


@jar1 wrote:

Why does it need to be done as a sheet metal output? ...


 

I read your problem description several times and I'm still not sure what you are after.

Are you trying to add a flat section to your part or are you trying to flatten a curved part (develop) or would are you just trying to project the silohuette of the part to make a flat part of the same shape?

 


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Autodesk Inventor 2019 Certified Professional
Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Certified Professional
Certified SolidWorks Professional


The CADWhisperer YouTube Channel


EESignature

Message 6 of 13
jar1
in reply to: JDMather

so the object you are looking at is the female mold for a carbon fiber rudder. the rudder it makes has a convex shape aft of the widest part of the airfoil. The goal is to change that so that the rudder is straight from the max width of the rudder towards the trailing edge. I guess I am trying to replace a convex part of a surface with a flat part. If you imagine looking at the rudder it would make from the top down, (or bottom up), the left of this sketch is what we have, and the right of this sketch is what I am looking for. (sorry for the horrible sketch, made on a laptop with paint).

 

Does that help at all?

Message 7 of 13
JDMather
in reply to: jar1

So, you aren't looking for a flat pattern at all (that is what the other sheet metal responses were referring to).

 

You are simply trying to change the profile from a curves to tangent lines.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Autodesk Inventor 2019 Certified Professional
Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Certified Professional
Certified SolidWorks Professional


The CADWhisperer YouTube Channel


EESignature

Message 8 of 13
jar1
in reply to: JDMather

Yes. Anything you can do to help?

Message 9 of 13
JDMather
in reply to: jar1

Use Derived Component to get the two mold halves as Composite Surfaces into a single part file.
Sculpt (you might have to Delete Face first) to "flood fill" the cavity to form the solid.

Turn off visibility of the work surfaces.

Make your best attempt at Project Geometry (2D sketch) or Include Geometry or Project Silouhette (3D sketch) to get the edges needed to form the new geometry.

Attach the attempt here.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Autodesk Inventor 2019 Certified Professional
Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Certified Professional
Certified SolidWorks Professional


The CADWhisperer YouTube Channel


EESignature

Message 10 of 13
jar1
in reply to: JDMather

Ok, I am going to give this a try, but just on the halves. the goal is to have the final output be two molds, not a solid center rudder, so that I can go ahead and make the rudders. I'll post my resluts.

Message 11 of 13
JDMather
in reply to: jar1

It will probably be easiest to create the part as in my previous post and then Derive the molds from the part.

At least that is how I would do it.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Autodesk Inventor 2019 Certified Professional
Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Certified Professional
Certified SolidWorks Professional


The CADWhisperer YouTube Channel


EESignature

Message 12 of 13
jar1
in reply to: JDMather

Yeah, I figured as much after messing around with it. couldnt do it your way for some reason, Had to combine both halves in an assembly, then turn into a part. then I opened the part in fusion, deleted everything except teh surfaces that made the shape of the rudder. then I saved, and imported it into inventor. stitched it all together to make a solid. doesn't look too bad but it could use some smoothing work towards the bottom to make the sections look more clean, still need to figure out how to do that.

 

THe important part is the shape. I was going to draw the 3d shape as requested, but ran into trouble. In th link is the new part. basically the line on the foil is the high point. I cant go straight from that to the trailing edge though. what I really need  is to go from the line straight back parrallell to the 3 lines on the head of the rudder to point where the slope of the airfoil in that direction is equal to the slope of the straight line from that point to the trailing edge. sorry for the brevity, about to lose inflight wifi.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/curb6j74jzhhmgp/Rudder%20Combined%20fusion%20part.ipt

Message 13 of 13
jar1
in reply to: jar1

Ok, I had some time to look at this more. The goal now is to make the surface a flat plane from the line drawn to whatever point is tangent to the body that is in red.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/curb6j74jzhhmgp/Rudder%20Combined%20fusion%20part.ipt

Can't find what you're looking for? Ask the community or share your knowledge.

Post to forums  

Autodesk Design & Make Report