My company is fairly integrated when it comes to sheet metal fabrication. For the most part we output a dxf of the flat pattern with the internal and perimeter geometry and an automated nesting program libraries our files and then routing is automatically generated.
The next step is to attempt to automate the programming of our cnc press brakes. I have read about an extended DXF definition where information about the bend (bend angle, bend radius, etc) is stored in a table that is attached to each bend line. I have a document outlining how SolidEdge can output the information (and how the machines would expect the data).
I can't find any reference anywhere to inventor having this capability when exporting flat patterns. Has anyone heard of this functionality? I can't find it anywhere in the flat pattern export tool. The only thing that looked promising was the post processing XML, but I think its only going to be able to manipulate data that's already in the DXF, not add anything.
I'll try to post the solidedge reference I have tomorrow, but I don't have a scanner at the moment.
Thanks in Advance!
