Create Master Sheet Metal Design with Bend Variants

[atcunninghamS5TPH]

Hey Folks!  I'm trying to follow the steps provided in this post on How to Create Component Variants with my sheet metal design and I'm not able to convert it to a component (first screenshot).  The reason I want to do this is so that I can edit the master design and have changes flow down to the variants which will have bends in different directions (essentially mirrored - second/third screenshot) or other features added to the design variants.  

Right now, it seems I have to copy the design into different files and break the link between the master and the child variant which then leaves me having to make changes that should be in the master in each separate variant.  

I also tried to follow the steps above and make the master a flat piece, and then insert into a new design to bend it, but I can't select the "stationary face" to start the bending process (screenshot 4).

The other option I can think of is just to have a master sketch, and insert that into new designs/files and start with the create flange step and proceed from there.  BUT....  I'd like to bake as many common steps into the master before creating the variants to save work in the variants.  

Hopefully I'm missing something obvious, and thank you!

[jhackney1972]

I have taken a guess as to what you are shooting for and created a Screencast quickly outlined the process.  Basically it involves creating a Master Model, add favorite parameters to it that will control the bends in other sheet metal files it is Derived into.  If this is what you are looking for and have specific questions, let me know.  I would supply the models but they will lose their relationship if I export them.

[atcunninghamS5TPH]

Hi John - Thanks for the screencast!  This helped out immensely.  I did what you noted and it worked.  However, since I need to change ALL the bends on each of the variants, all the variants now have the update icon in the upper left because once I saved a variant, I went back into the master, changed the bends and created the new variant.  Which then revs the master out of sync with the older variants.  So I have to be mindful NOT to click on the update icon in the upper left.  Reasonable, but is also sorta second nature to do.  

The positive is that this allows me to update the sketch on the master and flow those change out.  However that also updates to the bends, so the drawback is that I'll have to go through each of the designs to change the bends correctly again.  Not too big of a hassle, but not as automated as hoped where just the sketch would update and the new bends in the variants would remain.