Sheet Metal split legacy behavior

[mark_howard2FYWW]

I would like to get a button in the Split command to calculate pre-2025. We create hoppers/funnels as a master model. Using a sheet metal part and a lofted flange I can quickly model an envelope. Typically we have flanges top and bottom, I've left them off for simplicity. We then derive that part into 4 parts, one for each 'wall' or side of the hopper.  With Split, up until 2024, we could split at a plane and it would remove the 'sides' of half and keep a face. Then we use Delete Face to quickly window the remaining face and two half faces. In 2025, everything to the one side of the split is deleted. So now we have to split and keep both sides. then window one entire side, and ctrl-shift to add the edges to be removed. If I have flanges and bend transitions, it's many faces to pick. And now it acts like 2 bodies and the sheet metal flat pattern fails anyway. I'm not sure what ehnancement this helped in 2025, but a 'calculate legacy way' would save a lot of clicks. See my video for behavior difference. 

https://www.screenpresso.com/=jZvF2WuZ00lU

2024split2025.mp4

[enochbQS6E9]

@mark_howard2FYWW here's an example of my work flow. I use the combine/join feature to get rid of the body item that has no geometry. Hope this helps.

https://x.com/AxionCad/status/2009785858484994117

[kacper.suchomski]

What is the purpose of using the Split command in this process when the same effect can be achieved with the Delete Face command alone (one operation instead of two)?

[mark_howard2FYWW]

 @enochbQS6E9  I've used this as well, thanks for sharing.

[mark_howard2FYWW]

@kacper.suchomski it's an efficiency thing. With Delete Face, I have to (hopefully) window 'most' of it and single pick the remaining faces close to my desired result. With Split, it removes all faces on the 'keep' side that are not 'whole'. So it leaves the one sheet metal body/face I want and removes half of all the rest on the keep side. Then delete with a two point window pick removes everything on the other side of the split plane.

In my simple example with all square sides, each face is 6 sided. So to delete, you'd have to at a minimum, pick two edges close to the face i want to keep. And that is assuming the delete face crossing window removes the other 4 faces of each near and far sheet metal body that are on the 'keep' side of the plane. Now add flanges on top and bottom of my bodies. With bend transitions, you are now picking 4 to 6 more faces per flange if they are 'straight'. If there are bend transitions, miters etc, it could be upwards of 100 faces altogether.

[kacper.suchomski]

@mark_howard2FYWW  I don't know what you're talking about.

I still think you're doing a lot of unnecessary work, operations, and kilometers with your mouse.

If you want to learn the correct workflow and not waste your time, please start a topic on the inventor forum and ask about solving this scenario.

[enochbQS6E9]

@mark_howard2FYWW Another work around I use because Inventor doesn't have a real "delete body" feature is the Combine/Intersect feature. As long as the bodies needing deleted don't intersect with each other, you can select as may bodies as you want to get rid of them.  

[mark_howard2FYWW]

@enochbQS6E9 I like this idea. I wonder If I can make an extrusion to one side of my 'split' plane that envelops the face(s) I want parametrically. So it auto-updates when we revise the skeleton/master model. I shall try this!

[kacper.suchomski]

@mark_howard2FYWW  just use the Thicken (not Extrude) command. This is another method that requires a single operation without unnecessary clicking.