Work Around for Translate/Copy and Modify Sheet Metal Part (Before "Finish Sheet Metal" Command)

don_b

Is there a work around to copy translate and modify a sheet metal part so that a new accurate flat pattern is generated with the new part?

I assume this is in the works for sheet metal but perhaps there is at present a work around  

bryan_lagrange

You currently can convert an imported model and modify it with the bend radius, thickness, K factor, etc that you require to get a flat pattern to meet your bending requirements.

bryan_lagrange

If you post the link to the document the forum can take a look at what you are trying to convert.

don_b

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/f26f1bba85945934c18bddd0/w/9c614a8195f8880e649c0bf1/e/cbe5bc24003ab8559220a089

bryan_lagrange

Are you looking to change the parameters of the sheet metal part to get the desired flat pattern or do you just need to move the part and make a copy of it? If you just need to move the part and make a copy use the finish sheet metal command before the transform.

bryan_lagrange

Here is a link of the part moved and then I transformed the new part into a sheet metal part that you can adjust the parameters to create the flat pattern you require.

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/8e9ef553e65521809d190590/w/aabcc7cbec64142c87ac2391/e/364d5b10c268d2bf9bae6f6e

don_b

Thank you......I have many similar but different sheet metal parts ....just a need to shorten them as I copy from one to the next....not simple parts though ....with tabs and flanges added .....it would be nice if the sheet metal routine was fully functional with out the need for the "finish sheet metal" command. 
I liked your work around. 

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/cab6ce044c81060c5173b79d/w/da9460f34228fb58a4d54c00/e/740c4c89b534f413972dab55

eric_pesty

You could also consider creating the "base shape" for your sheet metal parts first and pattern/transform this as required, and only at the end generate sheet metal from that geometry (using "convert" or "thicken"). Basically making a "negative" if you will of your sheet metal parts and generating them at the end.

Something along these lines (really rough "proof of concept" example):

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/63ede05284ce595591bb58b9/w/c90c3f825e72564dfccfaf0c/e/b26f2f81cf0c20cdf57dbbb5

don_b

very innovative ....thank you 

nick_papageorge073

I just saw this come up on my youtube feed and thoguht of your airplane. It might be useful to you. Video is 2 min long and made by OS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOYH1gE1_Cs

don_b

Thank you for your help.....I will play with this concept to try to end up with an accurate flat pattern for the sheet metal parts.....

don_b

see my latest post ....essentially one has to rebuild the part to edit it which I think is ripe for a fix.....its a pretty basic feature to be able to copy and edit a part.
https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/20690/after-you-copy-a-part-edit-becomes-poor#latest 

fyorge

I would like to second this request.  It is not uncommon for me to work on a sheet metal construction where one end of a part needs to be standardized across multiple parts.  I would like to be able to create that one end, then use the copy command/translate command to create multiple versions where I can implement the different parts.  This is critical because while the standard end is in development, changes to it need to update across all parts.  The idea of using a base shape is interesting, but not practical in early development.  I may try using that once the standard end is fairly locked down, but it would be immensely helpful to not have this limitation.

I would like to also extend this request to things like the mirror command.  I recently discovered that a mirrored sheet metal part didn't keep its flat pattern, necessitating going back and rebuilding a part that was a mirror of a part that I had already designed, when really all that it needed was to have all of the bends reversed when it was mirrored after finishing the sheet metal part.  I do realize that the base shape concept could again be used here, but, again, it is not great for early development.

Needing to use the base shape method seems like it is saying that OS is requiring us to rebuild parts after they are developed.  This doesn't seem like a good work flow.

An alternative would be for OS to have a better tool for translating solids into sheet metal parts.  This would make a work flow of "finishing" a sheet metal part, to allow tools like copy/translate and mirror to work, and then converting the resulting models back into sheet metal parts, giving us full flat patterns and the ability to add new flanges, etc., as needed.  Right now, as far as I've been able to work this out, this process would need to include deleting the fillets at the bends, and even then some of the geometry doesn't alway come across perfectly.

eric_pesty

fyorge said:

An alternative would be for OS to have a better tool for translating solids into sheet metal parts.  This would make a work flow of "finishing" a sheet metal part, to allow tools like copy/translate and mirror to work, and then converting the resulting models back into sheet metal parts, giving us full flat patterns and the ability to add new flanges, etc., as needed.  Right now, as far as I've been able to work this out, this process would need to include deleting the fillets at the bends, and even then some of the geometry doesn't alway come across perfectly.

You can very easily convert a solid to a sheet metal in Onshape, including "re-converting" a sheet metal part that has been "finished" by using the "thicken" option. There is no need to delete the bend fillets.

If you want to re-use geometry you can use the derive workflow to add your reusable "bits" to a solid (whether it's a "finished" sheet metal part or just a solid) and then create a new sheet metal from it.

Also not sure what you are talking about with the mirror command: mirroring a sheet metal part creates a new sheet metal part that you can add to.

Here's an example of two sheet metal parts that were "finished" (and the second one is a mirror of the first one with a flange added), then derived into a new PS and transformed/combined, then converted into a new sheet metal part...

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/6d74ce66a0ac3960c291a454/w/aec6d9caa339a80fd8e54fe2/e/99ae4bbdda2bf1e05f7dbe7d?renderMode=0&rightPanel=sheetMetalPanel&uiState=65f372c3f0bd43202d72803d





If I make changes to the original parts, the final "combined" sheet metal one updates as expected: