Create flat pattern in sheet metal

Use the Create Flat Pattern command to create a flat pattern of a sheet metal model.

Before you create the flat pattern, you can select the face. Autodesk Inventor unfolds the part using the selected face as the base face.

  1. Create a Sheet Metal part.
  2. On the ribbon, click Sheet Metal tab Flat Pattern panel Create Flat Pattern .

The flat pattern is created and displayed. A Flat Pattern node is created in the browser. Double-click the Folded Model browser node to return to the folded model state or, alternatively, click Flat Pattern tab Folded Part panel Go to Folded Part .

Note: Preselect a curved face to create a flat pattern from a part converted to sheet metal created using only conical or cylindrical features.

Ensure correct physical properties in drawings

Physical iProperties (including but not limited to: mass and volume) calculate differently depending upon the folded or flat state of the model. Any alternative punch representations present in your flat pattern impacts physical iProperties as does the last calculated model state (folded or flat with any edits in the flat).

To display folded model values:

  1. On the ribbon, click Manage tab Update panel Rebuild All .
  2. Double-click the flat pattern browser node.
  3. Right-click the top-most node in the browser and select iProperties...
  4. Select Update on the Physical tab and then click Close to remove the iProperties dialog box.
  5. Double-click the folded model browser node.
  6. Right-click the top-most node in the browser and select iProperties...
  7. On the Physical tab, select Update, and then click Close to close the iProperties dialog box.

The iProperties now reflect the correct physical properties for the folded model. If you now save your part and retrieve the mass for a drawing view annotation the value reflects the folded model mass.

To display flat pattern values:

  1. On the ribbon, click Manage tab Update panel Rebuild All .
  2. Double-click the folded model browser node.
  3. Right-click the top-most node in the browser and select iProperties...
  4. Select: Update on the Physical tab and then click Close to close the iProperties dialog box.
  5. Double-click the flat pattern browser node.
  6. Right-click the top-most node in the browser and select iProperties...
  7. On the Physical tab, select Update, and then click Close to remove the iProperties dialog box.

The iProperties now reflect the correct physical properties for the displayed flat pattern (including any material added or removed using feature edits in the flat as well as excluded punch features displayed as center marks or as center marks and sketch). If you now save your part and retrieve the mass for a drawing view annotation the value reflects the flat pattern mass.

Parent topic: Create flat pattern in sheet metal