Can I alter a body "nondestructively" for assembly design?

[philletourneau]

Hello!

My project entails laser cutting metal in rectangular shapes, then mitring the pieces in a separate step.

I want my body to retain the rectangular shape for exporting DXF (design may evolve over time); however for assembly in a separate file I would like the corners to be mitred so I can join 4 of them into a frame. I'd like to retain the flat rectangular pattern, but have the mitred model embedded in other files. 

For mitring, I usually construct a "plane at angle" then split the body at each end using that plane. However this causes my flat pattern (I'm working in sheet metal mode) to no longer be a rectangle.

Here's a link to my file for your perusal. 

https://a360.co/2q0b6LW

Thanks in advance!

[g-andresen]

Hi,

Maybe "Draft" is your  friend?

günther

[philletourneau]

While that is a better way to mitre angles, (thank you!) that still affects the flat pattern by showing the angled cut.

Not quite what I need.

[g-andresen]

Hi,

Show, what should be created at the end, then one could also answer more purposefully.

günther

[jeff_strater · Accepted solution]

Is the manufacturing process you have in mind to perform this mitre in the unfolded state, after it has been cut?  If so, you can perform some operations in the flat pattern itself.  But, those operations will not show up in the folded model.

You might also look into Derive - keep your folded and flat model without the mitre, then add the mitre in a derived design

[philletourneau]

I want the model I use for my larger design and joints, etc. to be mitred as shown in the 3D screenshot attached.

I want the flat pattern to resemble the other screenshot I attached, where it's just a rectangle.

[philletourneau]

The mitre is happening AFTER the fold in the production process. My laser cutter needs to use a rectangular flat pattern DXF.

I will look into derive to see if that might help.