Making Sheet Metal Flat Patterns from AutoCAD Data

[ncassou]

Hey folks,

So I've imported some solid model data as sheet metal bodies from AutoCAD into Inventor. These were originally modeled in Advanced Steel I think. After I imported, Inventor broke up the assembly into each individual bodies. Some of the bodies are actually just flanges of a folded sheet metal flat pattern. I would like to recombine those bodies into one and then unfold it so I can create some plasma toolpaths. Any ideas?

Here are the bodies that were created after the import. I've designated the one's I want to combine into one sheet metal part. I've also attached the main file.

[JDMather]

An assembly must include parts.

in Inventor parts are in the form of *.ipt files.

[SharkDesign]

• Double click the middle one to edit in place. 
• Use the copy body command to copy the other two bodies into that file.
• 3D Model tab >  Modify panel > Copy Object.
• Save the part. 
• As long as they were mated properly so there were no gaps, you now have a single part. 
• I think your part is already sheet metal, otherwise convert it's on environments tab. 
• Set sheet metal defaults to thickness of part.
• As long as all the faces match the thickness and all the radii match the bend k factor in the sheet metal defaults, you should just be able to click the flat pattern command. 
• If it doesn't flatten, the thickness or bends don't match.
•  

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! Like experts mentioned here, please share the ipt files also (zipped). Another thing to watch out is the thickness setting. Make sure the Sheet Metal Thickness (Sheet Metal Style) is properly set.

Many thanks!

[SharkDesign]

My video just went live on this actually. 

https://youtu.be/dAXE1iYkf5Y

[SharkDesign]

If you need to join any parts together first which I think you were describing. Use this method but use union instead of cut when you combine.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/community/screencast/27c1c09d-ff2f-44c4-9764-8605a79037aa