SHEET METAL lofted flange open profile

[0117jerry]

Looking to developed the lay flat of a pan that has two different contours

The small end must nest into the large end. The geometry for each end is in the attached file was draw in Auto-Cad

and imported into inventor. Try to connect with lofted flange but only can select one piece of geometry at a time.

Tried to make them polyline's. {did not help} Do I need to create geometry in between them? What would be the correct why to model this?

[JDMather]

I don't see any coincident or tangent constraints in the sketches?

I don't think I would use AutoCAD as my sketcher.

Just try Extruding one of those sketches as a surface - note you can't get the entire sketch.

[0117jerry]

Do the sketch's have to be fully constrained to loft a open profile?

Am I going in the right direction?

[JDMather]

No - they do not have to be fully constrained - but I would.

You do need coincident constraints between endpoints of entities and tangent constraints between arcs and lines.

[0117jerry]

How do you make coincident constraints between endpoints of entities and tangent constraints between arcs and lines

[JDMather]

Inventor does that automatically for you when you use Inventor as your sketcher rather than AutoCAD.

There is an option when importing but this can sometimes skew AutoCAD sketches unexpectedly.

[0117jerry]

Attached is inventor sketch { fully constrained } still can not make a lofted flange?

[JDMather]

Did you use AutoDimension/Constrain on this?

Don't.

Dimension the same way it will be inspected out on the shop floor.

Still missing tangent constraints.

I recommend starting over (about a 30 minute job, unless you know the real dimensions - in which case about a 10-minute job).

Sketch2 is sick (pink geometry).

Notice while in a command that the entire sketch is not highlighted as I move my mouse to select - missing tangent constraints.

The sketches aren't even symmetrical.

[0117jerry]

Sketch2 is fixed (pink geometry).

The sketches are symmetrical {now pan5 } mirrored about center line.

I can loft geomtry {pan4} but can not use lofted flange. error fail to cerate but does not say why?

What am I missing now?

Thanks again for your time.

[JDMather]

Still missing tangent constraints (priority requirement).

Here is a tip. 

I assume you used Mirror to get symmetry. Don't.
Inventor has long had a problem with that - it doesn't work correctly and Autodesk apparently can't fix it.

Rather than mirror sketch geometry I create it on both sides of the centerline.

Tangents between all lines and arcs are an obsolute requirement for this loft to work.

I then add tangent constraints after sketching.

Here is tip #2.

Try doing a surface Loft (that is Model>Loft, not Sheet Metal>Lofted Flange).

When you try to select your sketches - you will see where the problems are.

[0117jerry]

Attached pan4 lofted & thicken/offset worked. But will not lay flat.

Why will it loft but not loft flange?

I see you are a Solid Works professional, Witch do you like better?