Vynal wrap flat patterns for vehicles

[Anonymous]

How do you produce a vynal wrap flat pattern in inventor for vehicle panels?

So3longboards@gmail.com

[mdavis22569]

you'd need the vehicle in 3d to get it precise ....

You could use sheetmetal and see the folders etc. But I don't think it would come close to how it actually goes on vs the way sheetmetal works (that's what does the flat patterns)

[graemev · Accepted solution]

By approximation only.

Vehicle body panels are almost exclusively non-developable shapes. What's a non-developable shape, you ask? Basically this: if you can't make the shape using a flat piece of paper and a combination of folds and bends, it's non-developable. An arch is developable, a sphere is not. A geodesic dome is a developable approximation of a sphere.

For the purposes of vinyl wraps for vehicles, close is likely good enough, as the vinyl will stretch to conform. Images printed on the vinyl will stretch, too, but the distortion is generally not noticeable to the casual observer.

[mcgyvr]

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@Anonymous wrote:
How do you produce a vynal wrap flat pattern in inventor for vehicle panels?

So3longboards@gmail.com

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@Anonymous

You don't. Inventor is simply not capable of producing the flat pattern at this time.

Its basically only capable of producing sheet metal flat patterns for parts that can be produced in a simple folding operation (press brake tools) only..

[kelly.young]

There was an terrific post recently that might be interesting to look at.

Unfold Complex Surface

You could get the car shape by ReMake/ReCap, use surface modeling, split into sections, possibly flatten. Would be difficult but depending on your skill and determination might be possible. If you can dumb down the shape it might be easier to work with. I worked at a sign shop and did a bunch of car wraps and can tell you that it does stretch slightly. I think there is specific software they used that imported the car body and did it all fancy. Depending on the material you have a bit of wiggle room, would suggest researching car wrap companies and see how they do it.