Building the Foundation of the Design - Autodesk Inventor 2010: No Experience Required - page 89

The other option replicates the entire existing solid body based upon a plane
or axis.
Optimized
By expanding the More button at lower right, you can choose different options
for calculating the pattern. The Optimized option is useful when you're creating
very large patterns. It ignores the parametric values of the original feature and
replicates it based purely on its geometry.
Now, let's use the Mirror tool to create more fl anges:
1. Start the Mirror tool in the Pattern panel of the Sheet Metal tab.
2. As you move near the fl anges you just created, they highlight. Select
the Flange feature either in the Design window or by picking Flange 1
in the Browser.
3. When the Mirror tool is set to use individual features, it allows you to
pick as many as you want. Pick the button next to Mirror Plane to
select a plane to mirror about.
4. Move to the Browser, and select the plus sign next to the Origin folder
icon. This expands your base planes and axes. Select the XY Plane for
your Mirror Plane.
5. Doing so generates a preview of the new feature, as shown in
Figure 2.35. Click OK to create the new fl anges.
Now, you'll use the Flange tool again with a slightly different
approach.
6. Rotate the model so that you can see the gap near the corner of the
part from the inside.
7. Select the Flange tool from the Create panel.
8. Select the interior edge at the bottom of the right side.
9. Pick the More button in the dialog box, change the Type to Width,
and set the Width value to 11. See Figure 2.36.
10. Click OK to accept the new fl ange if the preview is like Figure 2.36. If
it isn't, reevaluate the edge you selected.
11. In the Flat Pattern panel of the Sheet Metal tab, select the Create Flat
Pattern tool.
This causes Inventor to create the all-important fl at pattern of
your part (Figure 2.37), including the bend lines that will be needed
in order for Manufacturing to properly shape the fi nished part.