Export the Flat Pattern
Flattening a ply is creating a 2D shape that you can cut out of a flat fabric and use it to obtain the desired 3D shape. Before you export the flat pattern of plies, make sure that the draping simulation of the plies is successful and the Draping Simulation feature exists. You can export the flat pattern data of draped plies to DXF or DWG file for nesting and cutting plies.
Export the flat pattern of draped plies as follows:
1. To export all plies, click in the empty space and then click > 
Export Flat Pattern. To export some plies, select the plies in the Laminate Tree and then click > Export Flat Pattern. The Export Flat Pattern dialog box opens. The selected type of ply thickness, cured or uncured, that is used to drape plies is indicated in the export preview.
Export Flat Pattern. To export some plies, select the plies in the Laminate Tree and then click > Export Flat Pattern. The Export Flat Pattern dialog box opens. The selected type of ply thickness, cured or uncured, that is used to drape plies is indicated in the export preview.To set the defaults in the dialog box, open the Creo Parametric Options dialog box, select > , and then specify the settings under Plies Export from Composite Feature. For an alternative approach, see Configuration Options: Flat Pattern Export.
2. Select the export format. To change the settings for the selected format, use Settings. The export preview is updated.
 | You can predefine the settings for Colors, Layers, Line Fonts, and Text Fonts using a DXF or DWG mapping file. A sample mapping file dxf_export.pro is available in the installation directory at <Creo installation>\Common Files\text\intf_configs. After you create a mapping file, specify the full path to the mapping file in one of the following ways: • Use the intf2d_out_dxf_mapping_file configuration option. • In the Creo Parametric Options dialog box, click Data Exchange. Under 2D Data Exchange Settings, specify the full path to the file in the DXF and DWG Export mapping file location box. |
3. Under Plies Per File, select how multiple plies are distributed among the exported files. The preview is automatically updated based on selected options.
◦ Export each ply to a separate file—Generates separate files, each containing the flat pattern and the associated information of a single ply.
◦ Export all plies to the same file—Generates a single file containing the flat patterns and the associated information of all plies.
◦ Export plies with the same material to the same file—Generates separate files, each containing the flat patterns and the associated information of plies that use the same material.
4. When you select the Export all plies to the same file or the Export plies with the same material to the same file option, select an option under Plies Placement in the File to specify how to arrange the plies in the file.
◦ Place all plies on top of each other—Places all plies on the same sheet in the file.
◦ Place plies with an offset from each other—Places all plies on the same sheet in the file, with a defined spacing between adjacent plies. The default spacing is 20 mm, automatically converted to match the model units. To change the spacing, enter a different value in model units in the Offset between plies box.
◦ Place each ply on a separate sheet—Places each ply on a separate sheet in the file.
5. Under Exported Items, select the associated information to export with the ply. The export preview is updated.
6. Optionally, enter a different value in the Text height box to fit the ply name within the ply shape. You can click Reset to reset the value to that defined by the text_height Detail option.
 | To set a different default value in the Text height box, edit the value of the text_height Detail option. To learn more on how to set the value of a Detail option, see To Search for a Detail Option in 3D Mode in Model-Based Definition. |
7. In the File name box, specify the format for the names of the exported files. To change the default format, do one of the following:
◦ Type a custom name.
◦ Use the Name Generator to generate a syntax based on callouts of ply properties. For this, expand the Name Generator, select the ply properties, and click Generate. A syntax appears in the File Name box in the order the ply properties are selected in the Name Generator. For example, if you select Ply Name, Ply Sequence, and Ply Orientation in the Name Generator, the syntax will be &ply_name_&ply_sequence_&ply_orientation. Using this syntax, the files can be generated with their names similar to ply_1_sequence_1_45_00_deg.
To learn how the file names are generated when exporting the plies, see the following examples:
| | To set the default name format, enter a custom name or a syntax based on callouts of ply properties in the exported_ply_file_name configuration option. |
You can use the following callouts:
Callout | Value |
|---|---|
&ply_name | Ply name |
&ply_sequence | Ply sequence |
&ply_material | Ply material |
&ply_orientation | Ply orientation |
| | You can use a prefix or a suffix with the callouts. For example, you can generate file names using syntax flat_pattern_&ply_name. The sample output will be flat_pattern_ply_1. |
8. Click Export. The Save a Copy dialog box opens.
9. Open a directory to save the exported files and click OK.
| | • The text information and the geometry of each ply are exported to separate layers. The rosette is exported to a separate layer. • The selected type of ply thickness, cured or uncured, that is used to drape plies is also indicated in the exported file. |
Example: File Name Generation for Exporting Each Ply Separately
The following table shows sample values for sequence and orientation of few plies.
Ply Name | Sequence | Orientation |
|---|---|---|
PLY_1 | Sequence.1 | 45.00 |
PLY_2 | Sequence.1 | 60.00 |
CORE_1 | Sequence.1 | 90.00 |
When you export each ply in the example to a separate file, the input string for the file name and the output file names are as follows:
Input string | Output file names |
|---|---|
flat_ply_drw | Ply name is added as a suffix to create unique file names. • flat_ply_drw_ply_1 • flat_ply_drw_ply_2 • flat_ply_drw_core_1 |
&ply_name | Unique file names are created based on the ply names. • ply_1 • ply_2 • core_1 |
&ply_sequence | The sequence of plies are the same. Hence, ply name is added as a suffix to create unique file names. • sequence_1_ply_1 • sequence_1_ply_2 • sequence_1_core_1 |
&ply_orientation | Unique file names are created based on the ply orientation and ply name. • 45.00_deg_ply_1 • 60.00_deg_ply_2 • 90.00_deg_core_1 |
&ply_name_&ply_sequence_&ply_orientation | Unique file names are created based on specified syntax. • ply_1_sequence_1_45.00_deg • ply_2_sequence_1_60.00_deg • core_1_sequence_1_90.00_deg |
Example: File Name Generation for Exporting All Plies to the Same File
The following table shows sample values for sequence and orientation of few plies.
Ply Name | Sequence | Orientation |
|---|---|---|
PLY_1 | Sequence.1 | 45.00 |
PLY_2 | Sequence.1 | 60.00 |
CORE_1 | Sequence.1 | 90.00 |
You can export plies to the same file when one of the following conditions is satisfied:
• The text string specified for the file name does not contain a callout.
• The syntax specified for the file name contains callouts, and the ply property referenced by a callout has the same value for the laminate objects.
When you export all plies in the example to the same file, the input string for the file name and the output file names are as follows:
Input string | Output file name |
|---|---|
flat_ply_drw | The file is created with the name flat_ply_drw because the text string specified for the file name does not contain a callout. |
&ply_name | The file is not created because the names of plies are different. |
&ply_sequence | The file is created with the name sequence_1 because the sequences of plies are the same. |
&ply_orientation | The file is not created because orientations of plies are different. |
&ply_name_&ply_sequence_&ply_orientation | The file is not created because the names and the orientations of plies are different. |
Example: File Name Generation for Material-Based Ply Export
The following table shows sample values for material and orientation of few plies.
Ply Name | Sequence | Material | Orientation |
|---|---|---|---|
PLY_1 | Sequence.1 | UE1000_36 | 0.00 |
PLY_2 | Sequence.1 | UE1000_36 | 0.00 |
PLY_3 | Sequence.2 | XC400_56 | 45.00 |
PLY_4 | Sequence.2 | XC400_56 | 90.00 |
You can export plies with the same material to the same file when one of the following conditions is satisfied:
• The text string specified for the file name does not contain a callout.
• The syntax specified for the file name contains callouts, and the referenced ply property must have the same value for all laminate objects with the same material.
For example, when you export plies with the same material to the same file, the input string for the file name and the output file names are as follows:
Input string | Output file name |
|---|---|
flat_ply_drw | Two files are created. The name of the common material is added as a suffix to the specified file name. • flat_ply_drw_ue1000_36 • flat_ply_drw_XC400_56 |
&ply_name | No file is created because the names for the plies with the same material are different. |
&ply_sequence | Two files are created. The name of the common material is added as a suffix to the sequence names. • sequence_1_ue1000_36 • sequence_2_xc400_56 |
&ply_orientation | No file is created because the orientations for the plies with the material XC400_56 are different. |
&ply_name_&ply_sequence_&ply_orientation | No file is created because the names and orientations for the plies with the same material are different. |