Another sheet metal unfold problem!

[bearracecars]

Hi all!
I'm excited I found cadtutor and this is my first post. Over the years Ive used cnczone but the autodesk forum seems to be dead unless you need a autocad to gcode macro. Can't even upload a .ipt extension. I'm a newbie to inventor 2011. I've used autocad almost daily since 2005. I am seeing a need for me to move onto the paramatric modeling side of cad.

Please remember that i'm very new to this and i know that i'm am probably doing this backwards. I drew this part in an assembly by extruding the base then extruding the sides with notches to fit around tubing that is the assembly. I was thinking that i could just take that part, convert to sm then unfold for a flat pattern. So you know where i'm going? I can't unfold it.
I did go into the sm defaults and set my material thickness. Still not sure if i did that right also.

What would the proper way be to create a sm part like this?
I also have included the assembly file that the part was created in.
Thank you for the help.
Bear

[kencaz]

First rule in uploading assemblies is include the part files...

[bearracecars]

Parts are all drawn in assembly. I haven't saved parts individually out of assembly. The part file that is there is the first one i started working on. Like I said I'm new at this trying to train myself. So please explain!

[JD Mather]

There are no bends in your part?
Sketch1 has too more dimensions than required.
Sketch2 is unconstrained.
Sketch3 is not needed.

You might read this document while I work up a solution to your part.
http://home.pct.edu/~jmather/skillsusa%20university.pdf

[JD Mather]

These are the only dimensions needed to fully constrain this area of the sketch (use Symmetry, Equal =, Coincident constraints).
Did you intend this .015 offset?
Is your design intent for the blue arc to also be offset .015 bigger than the green projected circle?

[JD Mather]

These are some "oddball" angles.
Are these really what you want?
Is width and height the controlling design intent dimensions or the angles?

[bearracecars]

Thank you Dr.Mather.
Dimensions in Sketch 1 where done with Auto Dimension button. I seem to have problems finding the missing dimensions to fully constrain sketches sometimes. I have since constrained sketch 2.

[bearracecars]

These are the only dimensions needed to fully constrain this area of the sketch (use Symmetry, Equal =, Coincident constraints).
Did you intend this .015 offset?
Is your design intent for the blue arc to also be offset .015 bigger than the green projected circle?

No I didn't intend for the .015 offset. How did you get that dimension. I just tried to find the .015 and i cant get it to show.
Design intent is for the for blue arc to be same as projected circle.
Can i see a pic of the contraints you used?

[bearracecars]

These are some "oddball" angles.
Are these really what you want?
Is width and height the controlling design intent dimensions or the angles?

Yes, the width and height are controlling those angles. I also don't like it when "oddball angles, lengths, etc." are used.


One thing that I've been thinking was, could i have just drawn the face and converted that to sheet metal? Then used the sheet metal tools to create the flanges? After that project the cuts from the tubing to the flanges?

[bearracecars]

No I didn't intend for the .015 offset. How did you get that dimension. I just tried to find the .015 and i cant get it to show.

Never mind, I just found it. Its the bottom to center of circle. Didn't intend for it, but its a non issue with final outcome of part. Its going to be plasma cut when finished. So tolerances will only be as good as that anyway.