Flat Pattern
At a glance
- Unfold a sheet-metal part to the flat shape you'd actually cut — one right-click
- Correct developed lengths from the part's material, thickness, and K-factor
- Outline and holes come through as real geometry; each fold lands as a bend line on its own layer
- The result is a normal sketch: export it, or send it to Plasma / Laser and cut
Right-click a Sheet Metal Base in the browser tree, choose Flat Pattern, name the sketch, and the whole part — base plus every flange and bend — is developed onto the XY plane. Holes and cutouts land in the right place on the flattened wall, and each fold is drawn as a bend line on a dedicated Bend Lines layer you can keep or hide.
Developed length
Each bend is flattened with the true bend allowance for the part's material, thickness, and radius — the same numbers that drive the 3D bends — so the flat length is what actually comes off the brake, not a straight-line guess.
A snapshot you can cut
The flat pattern is a point-in-time sketch: change the part and run Flat Pattern again for a fresh one. Parts built from flat panels and cylindrical bends unfold cleanly; an unsupported face (like a filleted skin) reports a clear message instead of producing a bad pattern.