Working with Sheet Metal Parts - Inventor 2013 and Inventor LT 2013 Essentials - page 235

FIGURE 10.20 Making it possible to calculate the flat pattern
The exercise noted the eventual need to create a flat pattern. Later in this chapter,
I will cover the tools for creating a flat pattern.
Working with Existing Designs
If you or your employer has a history of making sheet metal components, it is
likely that you already have some flat patterns that work well for your designs. It
is possible to use those existing . dwg or .dxf files to create the 3D part and even
to add features to it.
1. Verify that the 2013 Essentials project file is active, and then open
c10-09.ipt from the Parts/Chapter​10 folder.
2. Edit Sketch 1 in the Browser.
3. Click the Insert AutoCAD tool on the Insert panel of the Sketch tab.
4. Open c10-09.dwg from the Parts/Chapter​10 folder.
5. When the Import Destination Options dialog box opens, click the
Next button to keep all layers selected, and then make sure the
Constrain End Points option is selected and click Finish.
6. When the geometry appears in the sketch, finish the sketch.
7. Select Zoom All so you can see the entire sketch.
8. In the Create panel, click the Face tool, and click all four portions of
the sketch.
9. Click the Offset tool to change the direction in which the face feature
will be developed, and click OK to create the face.
10. In the Browser, expand the face feature, right-click the sketch, and
click Share Sketch in the context menu.