Flat pattern from circular extrusion in sheetmetal?

: "Pinbuoy" wrote : Hi all, : : I'm using 2001 Pro/Sheetmetal to design MLI spacecraft blankets. : I have a circular instrument that needs to be blanketed. : : I extruded an arc that's about 350 degrees. : If I'm reading this right, sounds like you're describing a split cylinder with two parallel edges and no top or bottom.

: Is there not a way to flatten circular sheetmetal features in Pro? : It gives me the error "inappropriate geometry selected" : To create an unbend feature or flat pattern, you need merely to select one of those two open, parallel edges (not those at the top or bottom of the "can") as the one to stay stationary. It should flatten out fine. I couldn't even do anything to make it fail. I thought that locking an edge (vertex of arc) to a datum and picking the 'free end' to stay stationary could lock it up but even that wouldn't stop it. I think the trick is just picking an edge that's parallel to the bend.

David Janes

Thanks for your reply David, I had tried all you recommend, I had a cut interfering :)