About the Flat Pattern Preview Window
Use the Flat Pattern Preview tool to open a window with a preview of the sheet metal body in an unbent state. The preview is closed when you add or redefine features in a design. The Preview window is available in Verify mode when creating or redefining most features.
To access the Flat Pattern Preview tool, click
![](../../sheetmetal/sheetmetaldesign/images/smt_flatpat_preview16x16.png)
on the Graphics toolbar or mini toolbar. The Flat Pattern Preview window displays one sheet metal body with geometry. The default body to display is selected in the following order:
1. The selected sheet metal body.
2. The active sheet metal body, when a body is not selected.
3. The first sheet metal body in the part, when the active body is a solid body.
These additional commands appear on the Graphics toolbar of the Flat Pattern Preview window:
• ![](../../sheetmetal/sheetmetaldesign/images/smt_flatten_form16x16.png)
—Click to display the following options:
◦ Unfold bends added to forms—Unbends geometry that was added to a form that is not part of the original form.
◦ Flatten Forms—Flattens the geometry of forms.
◦ Project cuts added to forms—Projects cuts and holes added to form geometry to sheet metal placement surfaces.
•
Overlapping Geometry—Toggles the display of overlapping geometry. (default)
•
Bounding Box Dimensions—Toggles the display of the length and width dimensions of the unbent sheet metal part. The dimensions are associated with the
SMT_FLAT_PATTERN_LENGTH and
SMT_FLAT_PATTERN_WIDTH parameters.
•
Create Instance—Opens the
New Instance dialog box to automatically create a flat or bent instance.
•
Create Representation—Opens the
Flat Representation dialog box to automatically create a flat or bent representation.
Keep in mind the following points when using the Flat Pattern Preview tool:
• Set the accessory_window_display configuration option to yes to open the preview in a docked window, or set it to no to open the preview separately.
• A preview does not appear for bodies with the following geometry:
◦ Two or more disjoint volumes
◦ Unmerged quilts
◦ One or more deformation areas that cannot be unbent
◦ Relief geometry that is not valid
◦ Hem geometry that is not valid
◦ Deformation areas that cannot be regenerated
◦ Sharp edges that cannot be unbent
◦ Surfaces that cannot be unbent
• Geometry that cannot be unbent is highlighted in a different color. To change the default color, click > > . Expand the Graphics branch and specify the required color for Secondary previewed geometry.