Step by step how to do sheet metal wraps.

[PhilProcarioJr]

Ok a lot of people have been asking how to do this so I will post all steps needed to make sheet metal wraps.

If anything is not clear please ask and I will do my best to explain.

The idea is really simple and as long as you follow a few key steps you should have no problems creating your wraps.

In this first section I am going to show how to create your base forms that all tutorials will be based on.

Circular wrap:

[PhilProcarioJr]

Here I will show how to do our next base form, a wavy banner.

[PhilProcarioJr]

Here I will show how to do our next base form, an ellipse:

[dieselguy65]

very cool. but how do i get sheetmetal function? i am not seeing that option in the menu

[PhilProcarioJr]

@dieselguy65

Sheet metal is currently a preview and you have to sign up to get it.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/preview-functionality/how-to-sign-up-for-preview-technology/td-p/6853...

[cekuhnen]

@PhilProcarioJr I see now the mistake it made - I was looking into unfolding parts without the the need of a flat part !!!

[CarlFrischmuth]

This adding of little flat bits is an old trick to compensate for a SM unfolder that cant do the job

I'm surprised you are having to compromise and resort to the same old tricks to get results in brand new sheet metal software!.

looks like devs are adding the same ol' same ol' tractor tires to the new Ferrari.

Call me cynical but this is not impressive at all.

[daniel_lyall]

Thanks @PhilProcarioJr They should send you a big box of swag for your hard work, It's going to be fun.

[PhilProcarioJr]

@CarlFrischmuth

Regardless of how they are handling sheet metal (Right or Wrong), this thread isn't about sheet metal at all. It's about a new modeling tools for operations that were very hard or not possible in Fusion before.

These new tools speed up the creation of models so I'm not sure how someone could take this as a negative thing. Not liking the new sheet metal tools for the way they handle sheet metal is one thing and that's fine but to not see the value of these new tools as a huge benefit to modeling I don't understand.

[PhilProcarioJr]

Step2 Simple cutouts on a cylinder:

[PhilProcarioJr]

Step3 Adding some more details:

[HughesTooling]

One tip for making the flat as small as possible is make it tangent to the circle like this.

Done like this it seems to work even with a small size like 0.01mm 

Mark

[michallach81]

Very nice results Phil. For now, these are still workarounds. I'm wondering when (if at all) developers will give us such tool under modify tab. Looking at your examples, especially that with sculpted leafs ornament, that algorithm must be already "rock solid".

[HughesTooling]

Another option if the part is symmetrical, just draw half, cut off the flat then make a pattern and combine.

Mark

[PhilProcarioJr]

@michallach81

"For now, these are still workarounds. I'm wondering when (if at all) developers will give us such tool under modify tab."

This is the main reason for me doing these posts is to show the dev team they have working code for a wrap tool, but for now at least we "Have" a work around.

I am "Very" impressed with the fold and unfold algorithm. It has taken pretty much everything I have thrown at it.

[michallach81]

I have some experience with similar tools from Rhino (like 3 years ego), and this one (Fusion) looks slick.

[PhilProcarioJr]

Ok last one for today, I'm still in a lot of pain from my surgery so I need some rest.

Adding rivets to a curved surface:

[CarlFrischmuth]

That's precisely my point these aren't new techniques  the same things can be done with most other software, its workarounds and hacks for something that should work easily straight away with new software being developed, i should be able to pick a cylinder or pretty much every other shape you have here and describe a weld seam and click unwrap and it unwraps it - Not have to muck around building small flat bits here and there to help it along to unfold and refold.

its 2017 not 1996 surely things have progressed a bit by now.

[PhilProcarioJr]

@CarlFrischmuth

This thread is not about sheet metal....even Solidworks can't do what this tool can....so again your missing the point.

[cekuhnen]

@PhilProcarioJr

Yeah look at OnShape. What is nice there is that you can dev sheetmetal from a solid model. I like that very much.

But I tested it with arcs and spline sketches and I was not able to create any flanges!