How to flatten helix surfaces?

Visal_Merdiven

Hi,

I have helix surfaces and i want to flatten these pieces. But I can't flatten these pieces on Onshape. https://cad.onshape.com/documents/fe42703baf411c215f3ff94b/w/0835043136e1133894c72a61/e/390c2e8ec5c6eff1f06f558e?renderMode=0&uiState=64a1ec7da59a9630b477e1de


Other softwares (Solidworks etc.) make to flatten these pieces. https://help.solidworks.com/2017/english/Solidworks/sldworks/c_flatten_surface.htm




Can Onshape flatten helix surfaces?

EvanReese

I'd love a tool like that in Onshape, but it's not here yet. Only a matter of time I'd guess. In the meantime, you'll have to find ways to hack it. You could

• use the sheet metal toolset. In this case, you could polygonalize the helical surface with triangles to get something approximate, but it's a lot of work for it.
• You could also use Measured Variables to get the lengths of the outer curved edges and then use those to create a sketch that it probably close to what you want.

Visal_Merdiven

Evan_Reese said:

I'd love a tool like that in Onshape, but it's not here yet. Only a matter of time I'd guess. In the meantime, you'll have to find ways to hack it. You could

• use the sheet metal toolset. In this case, you could polygonalize the helical surface with triangles to get something approximate, but it's a lot of work for it.
• You could also use Measured Variables to get the lengths of the outer curved edges and then use those to create a sketch that it probably close to what you want.

Thank you for your answer but these parts are too many and this method is too slow. I've been waiting for five years... I hope Onshape develops this tool...

EvanReese

I'd love that. If I needed to do this now, I'd probably use Rhino's UnrollSrf or Smash command, but I'd much rather keep my workflow in Onshape.

Visal_Merdiven

You are quite right to keep the workflow in Onshape. It can also do this in many software... I'm also looking for different methods on Onshape.

glen_dewsbury

I'd like to see sheet metal expanded as well. In the mean time, here's my very old method translated to OS for developed length of strakes.
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/1781eabd4ea85870714cfb10/w/f1c9be3438138ee4c30f7812/e/e2049a4644c3ead2f9c7fe50

Visal_Merdiven

Yes, it is an interesting method, but it is not enough because there is no only spiral in the drawing.