How to etch lines to appear on a Flat Pattern DXF

[waynehelley]

Hi all,

I have a bunch of components (currently an iPart table) which all need to be etched with lines which helps with welding/assembly.  I need to etch lines to appear on a different layer to the rest of the geometry.

I have tried to emboss these lines straight on to the flat pattern but this required the sketch to be a complete loop, hence my lines are actually loops which is a bit messy.  Using emboss causes the lines to be output on layer 'IV_FEATURE_PROFILE' which is fine.

(I have used a circular feature pattern here because the number of etch lines isn't fixed)

Can anybody think of a better way to achieve this?

Thanks

[Xun.Zhang]

Hi Wayne,

How about offset the face to a new surface with a small distance and leverage surface visibility to control it?

Hope it helps!

[YannickEnrico]

As far as my knowledge reaches you have two options.

A: Create a sketch and export the sketch
Pro: You have no trouble making the lines appear
Con: All lines will be on the same layer

B: Create minute height differences between the "segments"
Pro: Lines will appear on "IV_Features.."
Cons: It's easier with an even than an uneven number of segments for the sake of using pattern.
In an assembly you might have trouble constraining it because of the height differences. 

B is what you're currently using, although instead of emboss you can use a simple extrude +/- 0,01 mm

[-niels- · Accepted solution]

If you're putting them on the flat pattern (so not in the folded model) then why emboss them at all?

A sketch would show up on the IV_UNCONSUMED_SKETCHES layer, wouldn't that be enough for etching?

[S_May]

Hi @waynehelley,

[waynehelley]

Thanks Neils,

I didn't realize that it was possible to export the unused sketches.  This is the best solution I have so far.

The only problem I have with it is that construction lines also get exported on the IV_UNCONSUMED_SKETCHES layer.  

It may still be possible to create the geometry I need without construction lines but the math and constraints might get a little complicated. 

[waynehelley]

Thanks S_May,

This is a great idea but there is a bit of an issue if the number of 'etch' lines isn't fixed.

If I have an iPart where the number of 'etch' lines can change, it falls apart since it is not possible to pattern the Split features.  The split features also disappear if the plane which drives them no longer exists.

[-niels-]

Yeah, i noticed the construction lines too.
But that might be something for the post-processing...
When i set the projected geometry to construction lines they came in as a dashed linetype of a different color in Autocad.
So perhaps it's possible to have the program that will make the CNC program filter out these linetypes?

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! Guys,

You can certainly use Split command to cut the faces in folded or flat pattern. Another way without cutting the geometry is to simply show the sketch in Flat Pattern. Here is a less well-known workflow.

1) Go to folded mode.

2) Right-click on the sketch -> Copy to Flat Pattern.

The sketch will be copied to the flat pattern and it is associative to the one in folded mode.

Many thanks!

[S_May]

---

johnsonshiue schrieb:

Hi! Guys,

You can certainly use Split command to cut the faces in folded or flat pattern. Another way without cutting the geometry is to simply show the sketch in Flat Pattern. Here is a less well-known workflow.

1) Go to folded mode.

2) Right-click on the sketch -> Copy to Flat Pattern.

The sketch will be copied to the flat pattern and it is associative to the one in folded mode.

Many thanks!

---

 @johnsonshiue, Thanks for the tip, I've never seen it

[S_May]

@johnsonshiue,

how come the sketches now in the DXF of the IDW?

[S_May]

@johnsonshiue,

OK...

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Sascha,

I thought you could control whether or not the sketch is visible in flat pattern. Also in DXF, you can control it via layer, right? Is it not true? Could you share an example here?

Many thanks!

[S_May]

---

johnsonshiue schrieb:

Hi Sascha,

I thought you could control whether or not the sketch is visible in flat pattern. Also in DXF, you can control it via layer, right? Is it not true? Could you share an example here?

Many thanks!

---

HI @johnsonshiue,

hier das Modell als Muster...

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Sascha,

Many thanks for providing the example! The visible copied sketch is indeed exported in DXF. But, if the sketch is invisible, it will not be included in DXF. Do you mind elaborating the problem?

Thanks again!

[Anonymous]

Hi @johnsonshiue

I don't see the sketch in the DXF. There is only one layer in the DXF I created.

Do you know where I'm going wrong?

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Craig,

Did you export to dxf from flat pattern in the part? Or, you export the idw/dwg to dxf?

Many thanks!