From the course: SOLIDWORKS: Tips & Tricks

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Create a flat pattern

Create a flat pattern

- [Voiceover] In this example I'm going to be showing you how to create a flat pattern that can be used for laser cutting, water jet cutting, CNC router cutting, wire EDM, or just about any 2D cutting process. The first thing I want to do is I want to make sure that the part I have can be flattened out into a 2D flat pattern. So if it's a sheet metal part, go over here to Flat Pattern, right below there, and right-click on it and say Unsuppress, and that should give us the flat pattern, what it's going to look like. You'll also get this little bounding box here showing you the size it's gonna be. If everything looks OK and it unbends correctly that's great. Let's go ahead and fold it right back up, so Suppress it, and there it is. You also wanna double-check here that you've got the correct bend deductions, or setbacks, or K-factor in your sheet metal part to make sure that when you flatten it out it is the correct size, so after bending you'll have the correct dimensions. You might…

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