Flat pattern from circular extrusion in sheetmetal?

Hi all,

I'm using 2001 Pro/Sheetmetal to design MLI spacecraft blankets.
I have a circular instrument that needs to be blanketed.

I extruded an arc that's about 350 degrees.

Is there not a way to flatten circular sheetmetal features in Pro?
It gives me the error "inappropriate geometry selected"

So I guess it wants a plane or edge but none of those seem to work.
There's gotta be a way to create a flat pattern from a circular feature!

Thanks

Mike

 

: Hi all,
:
: I'm using 2001 Pro/Sheetmetal to design MLI spacecraft blankets.
: I have a circular instrument that needs to be blanketed.
:
: I extruded an arc that's about 350 degrees.
:
If I'm reading this right, sounds like you're describing a split cylinder with two
parallel edges and no top or bottom.

: Is there not a way to flatten circular sheetmetal features in Pro?
: It gives me the error "inappropriate geometry selected"
:
To create an unbend feature or flat pattern, you need merely to select one of
those two open, parallel edges (not those at the top or bottom of the "can") as
the one to stay stationary. It should flatten out fine. I couldn't even do
anything to make it fail. I thought that locking an edge (vertex of arc) to a
datum and picking the 'free end' to stay stationary could lock it up but even that
wouldn't stop it. I think the trick is just picking an edge that's parallel to the
bend.

David Janes

 

Thanks for your reply David,
I had tried all you recommend, I had a cut interfering