Sheetmetal > Sheetmetal > Designing in Sheetmetal Design > Using Forms > About the Punch and Die Form User Interface
About the Punch and Die Form User Interface
The Punch Form and Die Form user interfaces consist of commands, tabs, and shortcut menus. Click Sheetmetal > Form > Punch Form to access the Punch Form tool, or click Sheetmetal > Form > Die Form to access the Die Form tool.
Commands
Punch or Die Form Model list—Lists all punch or die form models used during the current session and standard forms stored in the punch and die form libraries.
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You can use the punch_models_directory or the die_models_directory configuration option to specify a different location to retrieve punch and die form models.
—Browses to a punch or to a die form model.
Punch or die form placement options:
—Places a punch or die form using a form interface with the following placement options:
Interface To Geom—Matches a form interface to sheet metal geometry.
Interface To Interface—Matches a form interface to a sheet metal interface.
—Places a punch or die form using manual references.
—Places a punch or die form with a form interface using a coordinate system.
Form copy options:
—Creates a new instance of a punch or die form that is dependent on a saved part. The new instance updates when changes are made to the saved punch or die form part.
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The saved punch or die form part must remain available for the part to regenerate properly.
—Creates a new punch or die form instance using inheritance. You can set the update of the punch or die form feature when the saved punch or die form part changes.
Die Shape Collector—Only for die forms, collects surfaces to define the die pocket geometry.
—Flips the punching direction.
Display options:
—Displays the form in an accessory window.
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Set the accessory_window_display configuration option to undocked to open the form in a separate window.
—Displays the form in the graphics window.
Tabs
Placement—Displays options consistent with the type of placement used.
Placement by Interfaces—Places a punch or die form using a form interface.
Reference collectors—Displays the form and sheet metal references.
Constraint Type—Lists the available constraint types.
Placement by Coordinate System—Places a punch or die form using a coordinate system.
References—Displays the form and sheet metal references.
Placement Direction—Click Flip to change the placement direction on the sheet metal surface.
Type—Lists the placement types:
Linear—Places the form on the sheet metal surface using two linear dimensions.
Radial—Places the form on the sheet metal surface using a radial dimension and an angular dimension.
Diameter—Places the form on the sheet metal surface using a diameter dimension and an angular dimension.
Offset references—Sets the offset references to define placement.
Add rotation about the first axis—Rotates the form about the axis according to a specified angle.
Placement by References—Places the punch or die form manually using references.
Reference collectors—Displays the form and sheet metal references.
Constraint Type—Lists constraint types. For more information about constraints and component placement, search the Help Center.
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The Default constraint type is not available.
Offset—Sets the value of the offset for the Distance and Angle Offset constraints.
Flip—Toggles the direction of the offset.
Status—Displays placement status.
Shape—Displays the following options:
Insert Punch model as update options—Sets the update of the punch or die form feature when you place your punch or die using Inheritance and the reference model geometry is updated.
Automatic Update—Updates the punch or die form feature when the reference model is updated and in session.
Manual Update—Allows manual update of the punch or die form feature when the reference model is updated and in session.
No Dependency—Sets the punch or die form feature to be independent of the reference model.
Vary Punch Model and Vary Die Model—Available when you place your punch or die form using Inheritance Copy. Use the Varied Items dialog box to make any changes to the punch or die form model.
Die shape—(Only for die forms) Collects surfaces that define the die pocket geometry.
Options—Displays the following options:
Nonplacement edges—Rounds any sharp edges created by the punch or die form that do not lie on the placement surface.
Placement edges—Rounds any sharp edges created by the punch or die form that lie on the placement surface.
Radius—Sets a value for the radius used for the rounding of the placement or nonplacement edges.
Inside—Dimensions the radius according to the inside surface of the radius.
Outside—Dimensions the radius according to the outside surface of the radius.
Excluded punch model surfaces or Excluded die model surfaces—Collects sets of surfaces excluded from the punch or die.
Details—Opens the Surface Sets dialog box, which is used to add or remove surfaces from the punch or die.
Manufacturing punch tool or Manufacturing die tool—Displays the following options:
Tool Name—Sets the name for the manufacturing tool.
Coordinate System—Sets the coordinate system to use during manufacturing by the tool.
Trim edges of sheared form—Apply a finishing operation to the formed part by removing excess material from its sloping side surfaces in order to align them with the original boundary edges.
Properties—Displays the feature information as follows:
Name—Shows a default feature name for the punch or die form.
—Shows feature information in a browser.
Shortcut Menus
Right-click the graphics window to access the shortcut commands:
Excluded Surfaces—Collects sets of surfaces to exclude from the punch.
Die Shape—Activates the surface collector to define the die pocket geometry.
Tool Csys—Sets the coordinate system to use during manufacturing by the tool.
Both collectors—Activates both the punch or die form, and the sheet metal surface placement collectors.
Select component item—Activates the punch or die form placement collector.
Select assembly item—Activates the sheet metal surface collector to define the placement.
Origin Placement—Redefines the punch or die form origin.
Offset References—Activates the offset references to define placement.
Clear—Removes any references from the active collector.
The following shortcut menu appears when placing a punch form or die form with a form interface using a coordinate system:
Linear—Places the form on the sheet metal surface using two linear dimensions.
Radial—Places the form on the sheet metal surface using a radial dimension and an angular dimension.
Diameter—Places the form on the sheet metal surface using a diameter dimension and an angular dimension.