Unfold surface (21)

Unfold surface (21) unfolds welded plates. The unfolded plates are created to a location that you have defined. Use Unfold surface (21) to unfold triangular plates created with, for example, Triangles generation (19). You can also create assembly drawings from the unfolded plates.

Objects created

Unfolded plates

Use for


Situation	Description
	Unfolded triangular plates

Limitations

Unfold surface (21) only works with contour plates. Do not use Unfold surface (21) to unfold beams or polybeams.
We recommend that you use the same position-in-depth settings for all plates.
In some cases, an error can occur when unfolding complex surfaces that have holes. You can use the Do not refine edges option on the Big plate tab to prevent this.
Unfold surface (21) preserves anti-material cuts, line cuts, and bolts. Edge chamfers are not preserved.
The plates should be neighbors with no gaps between them.
The plates must be welded as neighbors. Welds must not have zero size.

Note:

If the weld size between the triangular plates is set to 0.0, Unfold surface (21) unfolds only one triangular plate, not all the welded triangular plates.

If needed, you can create breaks in the unfolded shape using the weld sizes. For example, if the default weld size is 5.0, but one weld gets size 0.0, a break is created to the unfolded plate.


Option	Description
1	Unfolded form
2	Unfolded form

Selection order

Select a location for the unfolded plate.
Select a triangular plate.

The unfolded plate is created to a location you have defined.

Plates tab

Use the Plates tab to define the thickness of the unfolded plate and whether the properties of the triangular plates are used in the unfolded plate.


Option	Description
Replace	Thickness of the unfolded plate. If you do not enter any value, the thickness of the triangular plates is used.


Option	Description	Default
Pos_No	Prefix and start number for the part position number. Some components have a second row of fields where you can enter the assembly position number.	The default part start number is defined in the Components settings in File menu > Settings > Options.
Material	Material grade.	The default material is defined in the Part material box in the Components settings in File menu > Settings > Options.
Name	Name that is shown in drawings and reports.
Class	Part class number.


Option	Description
Zero welds	Select whether to ignore the plates that are connected by zero welds or not.
Unfolding by	Select how the plates should be unfolded: By Geometry - in the order in which the original plates were created. By Welds - in the way the pieces of original plates were welded together.
Profile	Select the second column of the check boxes if you want to use the properties of the triangular plates in the unfolded plate. If you are unfolding a plate created with Rectangle to circle (17), and want to maintain the assembly position numbers defined in Rectangle to circle (17), clear the second check box next to the Profile option.
Name
Material
Class

Big plate tab

Use the Big plate tab to define the type and the accuracy of the unfolded plate.


Option	Description
Merge points	Define the accuracy of the unfolded plate by adding or removing points. Select whether the points in the resulting unfolded plate are merged or not.
Merge limit	If you want to merge points, define the limit for the merging. The points that are closer to each other than the set limit are merged. Points are not merged. Points are merged, and the merge limit is `15.00`.
Attach with	Select how the final plates are connected.

Unfolded plate type and offset


Option	Description
Type	One plate One plate is created.
	Plates Plates are welded together.
	Both Both one plate and a plate with welds are created. If you select Both, you can define the distance between the plates using the Offset option.

Offset

Define the distance between the unfolded plates.

Do not refine edges

This option prevents errors that may sometimes occur when unfolding complex surfaces that have holes.

Parameters tab

Use the Parameters tab to define the weld reference text in an assembly drawing.

Text in drawings


Option	Description
Prefix	First part of the text that is shown in assembly drawings, for example, `Angle=`.
Format	Format in which the size of the unfolding is displayed.
Postfix	Last part of the text that is shown in assembly drawings, for example, `degrees`.

UDA tab

Use the UDA tab to copy the original numbering and user-defined attributes (UDAs) from the original plates to the unfolded plate.


Option	Description
Set following parameters	Copy the properties of the original plates to the UDAs of the unfolded plate. Enter the name of the UDA for each property that you want to copy.
Copy following UDAs	Define which UDAs are always copied from the original plates to the unfolded plate.

Surrounding rectangle tab

Use the Surrounding rectangle tab to calculate the length and width of the smallest rectangle around the unfolded area or the big plate.

The example image below shows the dimensions with green arrows.


Option	Description
Calculate surrounding rectangle	Select one of the following: No (default). Surrounding rectangle is not created. You cannot enter any user-defined attribute (UDA) value or plate properties. Yes Enter the UDAs for length and width. The rectangle is created with the dimensions defined in the UDAs. Yes and create construction lines Enter the UDAs for length and width. The shape of the surrounding rectangle is shown with construction lines. Plates are unfolded by keeping the original smaller plates (mostly triangles), and with one big plate. Two rectangles are created: one around the original plates and one around the big plate. Yes and create plate Enter the UDAs for length and width, and the plate properties and the offset. The rectangle is created as a plate. The rectangular plate has the same thickness as the unfolded plate (defined on the Plates tab). Check on the UDA tab that you have entered the UDAs needed for the rectangular plate.
UDA to put length UDA to put width	Enter the user-defined attributes (UDA) for length and width that are used in the surrounding rectangle. The calculated length and width cannot be saved if you do not enter the UDAs. Note that you have to enter both UDAs to save the calculated dimensions.
Rectangular plate	The rectangular plate has the same thickness, part position number, material, name and class as the unfolded plate. Define the UDAs for the plate on the UDA tab.
Offset	Define the perpendicular offset to the unfolded plate. By default, the offset is zero.

Rectangular plate properties


Option	Description	Default
Pos_No	Prefix and start number for the part position number. Some components have a second row of fields where you can enter the assembly position number.	The default part start number is defined in the Components settings in File menu > Settings > Options.
Material	Material grade.	The default material is defined in the Part material box in the Components settings in File menu > Settings > Options.
Name	Name that is shown in drawings and reports.
Class	Part class number.