SheetMetal Forming

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Revision as of 14:37, 19 August 2021 by FBXL5 (talk | contribs) (Data rearranged to match view properties - With complete set of properties the site looks a bit overloaded...)

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SheetMetal Forming

Menu location
SheetMetal → Make Forming in Wall
Workbenches
SheetMetal
Default shortcut
M F
Introduced in version
-
See also
None

Description

The SheetMetal Forming command creates an embossed shape in a SheetMetal wall using a separate solid object.

The back side plane of the shapedefining solid is used to position and orient the embossed shape, i.e. their local coordinate systems will have the same origin and the same orientation by default.
The angle around the z-axis and offsets in x, y, and z direction may be altered by changing the parameter values in the properties window.

Usage

  1. Select the wall of the SheetMetal object to be embossed
  2. Select the back side of the shape defining solid
    • Note: Don't forget the Control/Command key!
  3. Activate the Make Forming in Wall command using:
    • Make Forming in Wall button
    • SheetMetal → Make Forming in Wall drop down menu
    • keyboard shortcut: M then F

Properties

Data

Base

  • Data (hidden)Proxy (PythonObject): A custom class associated with this object. This only exists for the Python version. See Scripting.
  • Data (hidden)Base Feature (Link): Base Feature. Link to the parent feature.
  • Data (hidden)_Body (LinkHidden):
  • Data (hidden)Shape (PartShape): A Part TopoShape class associated with this object.
  • Data (hidden)Placement (Placement): The position of the object in the 3D view.
    The placement is defined by a Base point (vector), and a Rotation (axis and angle). See Placement.
    • Data (hidden)Angle: the angle of rotation around the DataAxis. By default, it is (zero degrees).
    • Data (hidden)Axis: the unit vector that defines the axis of rotation for the placement. Each component is a floating point value between 0 and 1. If any value is above 1, the vector is normalized so that the magnitude of the vector is 1. By default, it is the positive Z axis, (0, 0, 1).
    • Data (hidden)Position: a vector with the 3D coordinates of the base point. By default, it is the origin (0, 0, 0).
  • DataLabel (String): "User name of the object (UTF8)", default: WallForming (+ a sequential number for second and following items).
    The user editable name of this object, it may be an arbitrary UTF8 string.
  • DataLabel2 (String): A longer, user editable description of this object, it is an arbitrary UTF8 string that may include newlines. By default, it is an empty string "".
  • Data (hidden)Expression Engine (ExpressionEngine): A list of expressions. By default, it is empty [].
  • Data (hidden)Visibility (Bool): If it is true, the object appears in the 3D view; otherwise it is invisible.
    By default this property can be toggled on and off by pressing the Space bar on the keyboard.

Parameters

  • DataSuppress Feature (Bool): "Suppress Forming Feature". Default value is false.
  • Dataangle (Angle): "Tool Position Angle". Default angle: 0,00°.
  • Database Object (LinkSub): "Base Object". Link to the planar face to be embossed.
  • Dataoffset (VectorDistance): "Offset from Center of Face". Default: [0,00 mm, 0,00 mm, 0,00 mm].
  • Datathickness (Distance): "Thickness of Sheetmetal". Thickness of the Data (hidden)Base Feature:.
  • Datatool Object (LinkSub): "Forming Tool Object". Link to the planar face used to position the Forming Tool

Parameters1

  • DataSketch (Link): "Point Sketch on Sheetmetal".

View

Base

  • View (hidden)Proxy (PythonObject): a custom viewprovider class associated with this object. This only exists for the Python version. See Scripting.

Display Options

  • View (hidden)Bounding Box (Bool): If it is true, the object will show the bounding box in the 3D view.
  • View (hidden)Display Mode (Enumeration): Flat Lines (regular visualization), Shaded (no edges), Wireframe (no faces), Points (only vertices).
  • View (hidden)Show In Tree (Bool): It defaults to true, in which case the object will appear in the tree view; otherwise, the object will be hidden in the tree view. Once an object in the tree is invisible, you can see it again by opening the context menu over the name of the document (right-click), and selecting Show hidden items. Then the hidden item can be chosen and ViewShow In Tree can be switched back to true.
  • ViewVisibility (Bool): If it is true, the object appears in the 3D view; otherwise it is invisible. By default this property can be toggled on and off by pressing the Space bar in the keyboard.

Object Style

  • View (hidden)Angular Deflection (Angle): It is a companion to ViewDeviation. It is another way to specify how finely to generate the mesh for rendering on screen or when exporting. The default value is 28.5 degrees, or 0.5 radians. This is the maximum value, the smaller the value the smoother the appearance will be in the 3D view, and the finer the mesh that will be exported.
  • View (hidden)Deviation (FloatConstraint): It is a companion to ViewAngular Deflection. It is another way to specify how finely to generate the mesh for rendering on screen or when exporting. The default value is 0.5%. This is the maximum value, the smaller the value the smoother the appearance will be in the 3D view, and the finer the mesh that will be exported.
  • View (hidden)Diffuse Color (ColorList): It is a list of RGB tuples defining colors, similar to ViewShape Color.
    It defaults to a list of one tuple [(0.8, 0.8, 0.8)].
  • View (hidden)Draw Style (Enumeration): Solid (default), Dashed, Dotted, Dashdot; defines the style of the edges in the 3D view.
  • View (hidden)Lighting (Enumeration): Two side (default), One side; the illumination comes from two sides or one side in the 3D view.
  • View (hidden)Line Color (Color): a tuple of three floating point RGB values (r,g,b) to define the color of the edges in the 3D view; by default it is (0.09, 0.09, 0.09), which is displayed as [25,25,25] on base 255, almost black .
  • View (hidden)Line Color Array (ColorList): it is a list of RGB tuples defining colors, similar to ViewLine Color. It defaults to a list of one [(0.09, 0.09, 0.09)].
  • View (hidden)Line Material (Material): an App Material associated with the edges in this object. By default it is empty.
  • View (hidden)Line Width (FloatConstraint): a float that determines the width in pixels of the edges in the 3D view. It defaults to 2.0.
  • View (hidden)Point Color (Color): similar to ViewLine Color, defines the color of the vertices.
  • View (hidden)Point Color Array (ColorList): it is a list of RGB tuples defining colors, similar to ViewPoint Color. It defaults to a list of one [(0.09, 0.09, 0.09)].
  • View (hidden)Point Material (Material): an App Material associated with the vertices in this object. By default it is empty.
  • View (hidden)Point Size (FloatConstraint): similar to ViewLine Width, defines the size of the vertices.
  • View (hidden)Shape Color (Color): similar to ViewLine Color, defines the color of the faces. It defaults to (0.8, 0.8, 0.8), which is displayed as [204, 204, 204] on base 255, a light gray.
  • View (hidden)Shape Material (Material): an App Material associated with this object. By default it is empty.
  • View (hidden)Transparency (Percent): An integer from 0 to 100 (a percentage) that determines the level of transparency of the faces in the 3D view. A value of 100 indicates completely invisible faces; the faces are invisible but they can still be picked as long as ViewSelectable is true.

Selection

  • View (hidden)On Top When Selected (Enumeration): It controls the way in which the selection occurs in the 3D view if the object has a Shape, and there are many objects partially covered by others. It defaults to Disabled, meaning that no special highlighting will occur; Enabled means that the object will appear on top of any other object when selected; Object means that the object will appear on top only if the entire object is selected in the tree view; Element means that the object will appear on top only if a subelement (vertex, edge, face) is selected in the 3D view.
  • ViewSelectable (Bool): If it is true, the object can be picked with the pointer in the 3D view. Otherwise, the object cannot be selected until this option is set to true.
  • View (hidden)Selection Style (Enumeration): It controls the way the object is highlighted. If it is Shape, the entire shape (vertices, edges, and faces) will be highlighted in the 3D view; if it is BoundBox a bounding box will appear surrounding the object and will be highlighted.

Example

A hexagon bowl with embossed centre

Preparation

This bowl is made of a folded sheet metal object with a shape embossed, both have to be prepared in advance.

No need to work with coplanar sketches here.

SheetMetal bowl and embossing object

Workflow

  1. Select the wall of the SheetMetal object to be embossed
  2. Select the back side of the shape defining solid
  3. Press the Make Forming in Wall button
    or use the keyboard shortcut: M then F


    Done!

  4. Alter orientation and position
    1. Activate the WallForming object in the Tree view
    2. Set the value of the parameter angle to e.g. 45°
    3. Set the value of the parameter offset, x to e.g. greater than 0

      Here it is plain to see that it doesn't make sense to move the embossed geometry outside the selected wall.

    4. Setting the value of the parameter offset, z to e.g. greater than 0 isn't any better:

      At least the FreeCAD doesn't crash when a part has two bodies...

  5. Some hints
    1. The height of the defining solid determines the depth of the embossed shape.
      That means changing the parameter offset, z to alter the depth won't deliver expected results.
    2. The embossed geometry is made of a shell object i.e. it has a constant thickness.
      And so the defining solid has to be offsetable, otherwise the tool will fail to create the emboss.