SheetMetal Examples

Introduction
The SheetMetal workbench (an external workbench available through the Addon Manager) has grown quite powerful and merits to be appropriately documented.

To avoid the overcrowding of the tool pages with examples this page was added to collect parts showing and explaining special SheetMetal features.

Planned phases to generate content:
 * 1) Collecting pictures
 * 2) Adding workflow descriptions
 * 3) Adding more detailed tutorials

Hinge step by step

 * 1) Create a profile (a line and a tangent arc), preferably using the [[Image:Workbench_Sketcher.svg|16px]] Sketcher Workbench.
 * 2) Activate the [[Image:SheetMetal_AddBase.svg|16px]] Make Base Wall command to create a BaseBend object.
 * 3) Edit the BaseBend object's parameters:
 * 4) * Set to to let the profile extend symmetrically to both sides of the sketch plane.
 * 5) * Set and  to values of your choice.
 * 6) Create a cut-out contour with the [[Image:Workbench_Sketcher.svg|16px]] Sketcher Workbench.
 * 7) Use the [[Image:PartDesign_Pocket.svg|16px]] PartDesign Pocket command to cut off one half of the Round bit.
 * 8) Create a hole pattern with the [[Image:Workbench_Sketcher.svg|16px]] Sketcher Workbench.
 * 9) Use the [[Image:PartDesign_Hole.svg|16px]] PartDesign Hole command. Avoid the countersink and counterbore options to keep the body unfoldable.
 * 10) Activate the [[Image:SheetMetal_Unfold.svg|16px]] Unfold command to get an Unfold object.
 * 11) Done!

Paper clip step by step

 * 1) Create a profile, preferably using the [[Image:Workbench_Sketcher.svg|16px]] Sketcher Workbench on the XZ plane. [[Image:SheetMetal_Example-02e.png|300px|link=|Profile sketch]]
 * 2) Activate the [[Image:SheetMetal_AddBase.svg|16px]] Make Base Wall command to create a BaseBend object.
 * 3) Edit the BaseBend object's parameters in the properties panel: [[Image:SheetMetal_Example-02f.png|200px|link=|BaseBend object and highlighted sketch]]
 * 4) * Set to to let the profile extend symmetrically to both sides of the sketch plane.
 * 5) * Set to 32 mm.
 * 6) * Set to 2 mm.
 * 7) * Set to 0.3 mm.
 * 8) Select the face between the round sections and activate the [[Image:Workbench_Sketcher.svg|16px]] Sketcher Workbench. [[Image:SheetMetal_Example-02g.png|200px|link=|Face to support the sketch]]
 * 9) To hide the curled part use the [[Image:Sketcher_ViewSection.svg|16px]] Sketcher View section command.
 * 10) Create the cut-out contour. [[Image:SheetMetal_Example-02h.png|x240px|link=|Cut-out contour]] [[Image:SheetMetal_Example-02i.png|x240px|link=|Cut-out contour slightly touching the selected face]]
 * 11) Finish the sketch using the [[Image:Sketcher_LeaveSketch.svg|16px]] Sketcher Leave sketch command.
 * 12) Select the face again and add the Cut-out sketch to the selection. [[Image:SheetMetal_Example-02j.png|200px|link=|Face and sketch selected]]
 * 13) Use the [[Image:SheetMetal_SketchOnSheet.svg|16px]] Sketch on Sheet command to cut around the curled bit. [[Image:SheetMetal_Example-02b.png|200px|link=|Finished first half]]
 * 14) One side is finished. We now need to find a way to mirror the body.

Potential mirror options:
 * The [[Image:PartDesign_Mirrored.svg|16px]] PartDesign Mirrored command fails because it cannot handle SheetMetal features for some reason. So that does not work.
 * The [[Image:Part_Mirror.svg|16px]] Part Mirror command creates a mirrored part, but this is no longer unfoldable. So that does not work either.
 * One way that can work is to use a clone. This still can't be mirrored, but it can use axial symmetry (turn it 180°).
 * Another way that works is to use a link object.

Mirror using a clone:
 * 1) Select the body from the tree view.
 * 2) Use the [[Image:PartDesign_Clone.svg|16px]] PartDesign Clone command. It adds a new body containing a clone object. To apply a 180° turn set the  under the Placement property of either the body or the clone to 180°. (Z axis is default and should be fine if you started on the XZ plane as described). [[Image:SheetMetal_Example-02b.png|200px|link=|Cloned half]] [[Image:Button_right.svg|16px|link=]] [[Image:SheetMetal_Example-02l.png|200px|link=|Flipped cloned half]]
 * 3) With the body still active, use the [[Image:PartDesign_Boolean.svg|16px]] PartDesign Boolean operation command to add the body of the clone and fuse both halves. [[Image:SheetMetal_Example-02c.png|200px|link=|Fused halves]]
 * 4) Activate the [[Image:SheetMetal_Unfold.svg|16px]] Unfold command to get an Unfold object. [[Image:SheetMetal_Example-02m.png|200px|link=|Clip and Unfold object]] [[Image:SheetMetal_Example-02d.png|200px|link=|Unfold object]]
 * 5) Done!

Mirror using a link object:
 * 1) Select the body from the tree view.
 * 2) Use the [[Image:Std_LinkMake.svg|16px]] Make link command. This adds a new link object.
 * 3) Duplicate the link object by setting the property  to 2.
 * 4) To apply a 180° turn set the  under the Placement property of either of the sub-linked objects to 180°. (Z axis is default and should be fine if you started on the XZ plane as described).
 * 5) Select both sub-linked objects in the tree view.
 * 6) Activate the [[Image:Part_Fuse.svg|16px]] Part Fuse command to fuse both halves. [[Image:SheetMetal_Example-02c.png|200px|link=|Fused halves]]
 * 7) Activate the [[Image:SheetMetal_Unfold.svg|16px]] Unfold command to get an Unfold object. [[Image:SheetMetal_Example-02m.png|200px|link=|Clip and Unfold object]] [[Image:SheetMetal_Example-02d.png|200px|link=|Unfold object]]
 * 8) Done!

Hex bowl




When a Corner Relief is added (right side) it can be necessary to adjust the value of the Size property.

Extend face example


For the second use of Extend Face a Sketch with two contours is used for shape of the extension(s); and with the value of "use subtraction" set to true it provides the shape for the cut-outs, as well

USB shield contact


(The pull relief is just an artistic expression of what could be hidden inside a real plug)

SheetMetal properties
This section tries to explain the properties of each SheetMetal object with simple images, where applicable.

BaseBend object [[Image:SheetMetal_AddBase.svg|24px]]














Bend object [[Image:SheetMetal_AddWall.svg|24px]]
A Bend object consists of sets of one cylindrical bend and one planar strip each. Each pair extends from a selected edge of a blank.



Edit to vary the inner radius of all bends supplied by a Bend object. (See BaseBend object above)

Edit to vary the length of all planar strips extending from the bends of a Bend object.
 * Don't confuse the with a flange length which is the sum of this length, radius, and thickness (90° only).





We don't have to care about trimming the edges, because Auto Miter is activated by default. If deactivated, the result would look like this:



To manually miter a flange edge miterangle1 and miterangle2 are used:



Mitering only effects the planar strips, not the bends.
 * (It takes the whole edge into account and so cannot be used to chamfer flange edges)

To display the different choices of Bend Type we introduce an auxiliary cuboid that extrudes from the same outline as the blank and has the same height as the Bend object (its flange length).




 * Outside: The bend starts at the selected edge (The whole Bend object lies outside the cuboid).
 * Inside: The outer side of the bend ends on the cuboid surface (The whole Bend object lies inside the cuboid).
 * Thickness Outside: The inner side of the bend ends on the cuboid surface (only the planar strip is protruding from the cuboid surface).
 * Offset: According to the value of the bend is moved in outward direction from its default position.
 * An extension is inserted for positive values (high-lighted strip).
 * Negative values are allowed to move the bend inwards.

If we don't want to use the whole length of an edge we can use gap1 and gap2.



If the length of a gap reaches or extends the value of, a relief will be added to the gap. Reliefs are controlled by, (relief depth), and  (relief width) which are enabled only when a gap value is set.





The round option will only be applied, if the relief depth is larger than the relief width.

Switch from  (default) to  to set the values of  and  automatically. Both are set to the object's (inherited) thickness multiplied by the value of.
 * In this case the round option is useless, since the relief depth is as large as the relief width. (See above)

A new property  enables us to choose how to measure the length of the Bend object:



With the option selected the property  is the equivalent of the flange length.

and are identical for 90° angles.

Extend object [[Image:SheetMetal_Extrude.svg|24px]]
An Extend object extends a sheet metal plate at one or more selected edge faces or edges.



At this early step the first issue occurs: Although the property is set to  two of the extensions still show their seam lines. Only the extension of the last selected element will be refined. To have all extensions being refined they have to be created separately:



Altered properties apply to all edges listed in the related of the Extension object.

Edit to adjust the length of the extension.



Link a sketch to the property to shape an extension. The properties, and  will be ignored once a sketch is linked. (This seems not to work with still unbent blanks).



It is plain to see that it doesn't matter which edge was chosen in first place, the flange is extended in all directions where sketch geometry protrudes, even outside the original object; and multiple outlines are no problem. But it doesn't cut into the flange.

This displays perfectly that the designer is responsible for his construction and mustn't rely on the results of his tools which are quite silly in this case. And the Sketch attached to a flange face is problematic as well due to the toponaming problem, but for this a solution is in sight.

But there are better use cases for this tool involving almost closed shapes:

Coming soon...