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Hax||  
#1 Posted : Sunday, June 28, 2020 10:11:14 AM(UTC)
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Not sure if this is the right area, since this a new area of exploration in CAD for me.

But current project is a round tube with holes and whatnot in it.
I'd like to 'unroll' it into a flat 2D file I can print and then wrap around the tube as a cutting template.

And I guess would be more or less same tool/procedure for unfolding a box?

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MPSchmied  
#2 Posted : Sunday, June 28, 2020 12:32:33 PM(UTC)
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This is not possible. You can make a neutral Surface by ca. 0,3*t from the inside. You can make some bending tests to know the precise value for the neutral line. This surface can maybe unfolded, but i made tests with the power pack unfold and it works not properly.

But for professional Unfold you can use for example BricsCAD (another slow Software). For simple unfolding works maybe also TurboCAD (slow Software), maybe is TurboCAD the best low budged Solution. Fast Software > High Price, this is so. Maybe the Price for SharkCAD Pro is to high, i will not pay more than the SharkCAD-Price.

Edited by user Sunday, June 28, 2020 12:34:51 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

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murray  
#3 Posted : Sunday, June 28, 2020 7:17:28 PM(UTC)
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PunchCAD won't flatten trimmed cylindrical surfaces as trimmed NURB surfaces, MPSchmied's right, but you can convert them to mesh and it will flatten that into the pattern you want. Not as accurate in terms of decimal places, but as usable in most circumstances, and bear in mind that ViaCAD has polyline print output, not curve, anyway, and mesh flattening is unstoppable when NURB fanciness is fussiness. PowerPack will flatten other general ruled surfaces, it's trimmed cylindrical faces that it chokes on. TurboCAD Platinum will flatten, unfold in its terms, cylindrical and conical surfaces, and it can unroll logical cylindrical bent solids with neutral depth calculation. There's an inexpensive program called UltimateUnwrap3D that's predicated on UV mapping for game assets, and it flattens meshes as well as anything I've seen. Open-source FreeCAD has an add-on macro tool to unroll ruled surfaces, I've used it for lofted and edge-trimmed ruled surfaces but I haven't tried it with internal trims. There's a maritime program called ProSurf3 that the creator, Steve Hollister, is giving to people to use at no cost. It dates to Win 98, so it's got a dated/old-school interface, but don't be deceived by that, it flattens NURB surfaces with cutouts really well, even giving some indication of expandability, or how well a lightly compound curve surface might work. Steve's at newwavesys.com or Pilot3D.com contact details.
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MPSchmied on 6/29/2020(UTC), GARLIC on 6/29/2020(UTC), MaiFy on 6/29/2020(UTC)
digitalphaser  
#4 Posted : Monday, June 29, 2020 6:39:47 AM(UTC)
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3d-coat helped me good when creating the packaging. I cutŠµd the surfaces at the places of the alleged seams. The ABF(Angle Based Flattening) unwrapping method always worked well with exporten from CAD surfaces.
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GARLIC on 6/29/2020(UTC)
murray  
#5 Posted : Tuesday, June 30, 2020 4:36:21 PM(UTC)
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Does it flatten meshes made from compound-curved surfaces imported from CAD, DP?
UGMENTALCASE  
#6 Posted : Wednesday, July 1, 2020 12:40:22 AM(UTC)
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As strange as this may sound paper software like origami unfolds surfaces as well. I have one, and it worked a lot better than others in some cases. Ultimate papercraft 3d.

I found that with unfold in ViaCAD it gives different results depending on where you pick the surface to unfold. This I don't understand. Surely unfold is unfold? There is also something called meshflatten which works ok as well.

https://www.papercraft3d.com/upc/index.aspx

http://www.resurf3d.com/MeshFlatten_standalone.htm

I've got the prosurf program when I was using my Microscribe. Good little program, the surfaces out of it are good, but like you say Murray, as it's an old program it doesn't 'behave' the way a lot of people are used to with modern CAD programs.
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digitalphaser  
#7 Posted : Wednesday, July 1, 2020 5:05:55 AM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: murray Go to Quoted Post
Does it flatten meshes made from compound-curved surfaces imported from CAD, DP?


3d-coat does not have special flattening tools. Maybe only "Relax" or "Strip to straight line".
But the quality of unwrapping of complex objects depends on the proper location of the seams. 3d-coat has enough tools for this.
I always used to unwrap rather simple objects like this paper cup above.
MPSchmied  
#8 Posted : Wednesday, July 1, 2020 2:19:57 PM(UTC)
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UltimateUnwrap3D is a bad idea, it is wasted money, this can maybe only mashes. It tell me always: "Only 3D face geometry can be imported." The same when i exported just a Surface and no solid before.
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murray  
#9 Posted : Wednesday, July 1, 2020 8:40:52 PM(UTC)
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I did say meshes, yes, but they can be mesh representations of any surface, not only strictly developable or ruled surfaces, and it gives clear indication of where tears are needed to expand compound-curved equivalent surfaces. PowerPack/Shark Pro's unroll/unfold meshes is also good, but you have to manage keeping track of the facets that it's already flattened because copies remain in original orientation, while UUWrap moves them from their original orientation to the flattened plane, which is tidier and coherent.

Edited by user Wednesday, July 1, 2020 8:45:33 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

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