can anyone recommend a 3rd party "add in" package for Shark FX9sp1 that creates flat patterns for cones from a solid model?? I'm looking at a project with four tubes that each have on the order of 30 cones each; ie: ~120 cones. yes it could be done by hand but hoping the code already exists so I can avoid that ordeal......................

thanks!

Art Smith
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Edited by user Saturday, July 25, 2015 9:56:52 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Also not a plugin, I've used TurboCAD alongside VC/Shark for years. Older versions of TC Pro Mechanical or Platinum back to about V15, which can be had for reasonable coin, will unwrap ruled surfaces, "unwrapping" meaning ruled surfaces laid flat. They also unbend cylindrical sections of solids with thickness, sheet-metal-like, although that capability is more competent the more recent the version. Some people don't get that that process is very conditional and are distressed when it doesn't work like more expensive specialized software. IMO, TC can produce as accurate a result as specialized SW, but the user has got to understand what's happening.

mesh unfolder. does surface unfolding (unwrap is tricky when you export stl triangles, but can be done) surface is better imo for this stage, so you can force where bend axis is (1/pi from outside of radius in solid metal. not the most pleasant chap sells it, but it works well and is cheap.