how to use sheet metal, or another solution to a problem

so i have a shape that i made using the only way i really know how, loft then used shell (on a side note, how do i make it only loft the shape instead of the whole outline?) but my boss wants to know what shape the metal will need to be cut for it since it will be cut flat, then rolled for the radii

to get this info would it be easier to use the sheet metal way? i've never used that before, could someone breifly explain how to do it? or is there another way that would work with the part the way it is?

here's the part in question

WINDOW TRIM - sides - 0.1875.zip

Because you don't have Inventor 2010 or 2011 you will have to do it the hard way.

First create a split in your sketches (shown greatly exaggerated in attached image - you can close it up but there must be a very small opening - and put it where you want the seam).

Then Loft as a surface rather than as solid output.

Go to Convert to Sheetmetal (don't recall where that is in 2009).

Click on Sheet Metal Default Styles and set your material thickness.

Go back to modeling enviroment and to a Thicken/Offset feature and select Quilt and set your Distance to Thickness.

Turn off the visibility of the Lofted surface (first make sure you did the Thicken to the correct side of the surface).

Go back to sheet metal and select one of the planar faces on the part.

Click Flat Pattern.

Right click on the flat sheet in the graphics window and see what options you have for saving the flat.

Do the same for the Flat Pattern node in the browser.

BTW - I think I would have modeled this with obvious symmetry about the origin rather than placing the origin in a corner.

yeah, not sure why i did that

so i was with you right up until "seeing what options you have for saving the flat"

all i see is "save copy as" and if i pick .dwg all i get is a 2d view of the side that i picked when i clicked "flat pattern"

what did i do wrong?

i tried .sat and that just saved the whole part as a 3d sat file

You should get options to export as dwg or dxf a 2d of the sheet (that is what your laser, plasma or waterjet cutter wants - they don't what 3D thickness).

If you need thickeness for some reason save as *.sat.

If you want an idw be sure to select option for the flat pattern when creating.

what i mean is, it's a 2d view as if it was all bent already (it even includes hidden lines etc) i was expecting some kind of 2d view of the whole thing flat before it was bent, to find out the exact shape of the burn that will need to be done

what i mean is, it's a 2d view as if it was all bent already (it even includes hidden lines etc) i was expecting some kind of 2d view of the whole thing flat before it was bent, to find out the exact shape of the burn that will need to be done

Post screen shot - doesn't it look like my flat pattern image that I posted?