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      <title>Create a flat pattern</title>
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      <div class="title_topic4" id="xps10_pagetitle">Create a flat pattern</div>
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                  <p class="para_td"><a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('nx_sheet_metal/flat_pattern_over.html');return(false);">Overview</a></p>
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                  <p class="para_td">How To</p>
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                  <p class="para_td"><a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('nx_sheet_metal/flat_pattern_options.html');return(false);">Options</a></p>
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            <p class="para_item">With your part displayed, click <b class="uiTerm">Flat Pattern</b>&nbsp;<img align="bottom" src="graphics/flat_pattern_sc.gif" border="0">.
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            <p class="para_item">Pick an upward face to orient the flat pattern&nbsp;<img align="bottom" src="graphics/select_face_icon.gif" border="0">. This face can either be on a formed sheet metal body, or on a <b class="uiTerm">Flat Solid</b> body. The normal direction associated with this face is used to specify the &ldquo;UP&rdquo; direction for bend regions.
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            <p class="para_item">Note: <b class="uiTerm">Flat Pattern</b> needs a <b class="uiTerm">Flat Solid</b> body as the basis for the flat pattern curves. So if you select a face on a formed sheet metal body as the base face for the <b class="uiTerm">Flat Pattern</b>, a <b class="uiTerm">Flat Solid</b> feature will be automatically created as the basis for the <b class="uiTerm">Flat Pattern</b> curves. When you create a <b class="uiTerm">Flat Solid</b>, the face you select on the formed sheet metal body will be used as the placement face for the <b class="uiTerm">Flat Solid</b> and the base face for the <b class="uiTerm">Flat Pattern</b>. As a result, this placement face eventually defines the &ldquo;UP&rdquo; direction for the bend region annotations on the flat pattern.
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            <p class="para_item">Click <b class="uiTerm">OK</b> to create the feature.
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            <p class="para_item">To see the FLAT-PATTERN, in the <b class="uiTerm">Part Navigator</b>, click to expand <b class="uiTerm">Model Views</b>, then double-click the FLAT-PATTERN view.
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      </ol><a name="flat_pattern_edit"></a><div class="title_division">Edit a flat pattern</div>
      <p class="para_division">To edit the orientation or placement of the flat pattern, you must edit the orientation of the flat solid feature that it references. This is true both for flat patterns created from flat solids and those created from a formed sheet metal body. The flat pattern is simply a grouped set of curves and associated annotations. You can add, remove, or edit curves in this group. However, any time you update the model, the curves associated with the flat pattern will be regenerated and will overwrite any changes. To make permanent changes to a flat pattern, you must first make a non-associative copy of the flat pattern curves and then edit that set of curves.</p><a name="flat_pattern_export"></a><div class="title_division">Export a flat pattern</div>
      <p class="para_division">Exporting a <b class="uiTerm">Flat Pattern</b> through a translator requires a proper translator license. This license is not included as part of NX Sheet Metal.
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      <p class="para_division">You can export a flat pattern as follows. With the part file that contains the flat pattern open:</p>
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            <p class="para_item">Choose <b class="uiTerm">File</b>&rarr;<b class="uiTerm">Export</b>&rarr;<b class="uiTerm">2D Exchange</b>. Select the <b class="uiTerm">Files</b> tab.
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            <p class="para_item">Under <b class="uiTerm">Export to</b>, for <b class="uiTerm">Output As</b>, select <b class="uiTerm">DXF</b> or <b class="uiTerm">DWG</b>, and specify where you want to save the new file.
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            <p class="para_item">Select the <b class="uiTerm">Data to Export</b> tab. For <b class="uiTerm">Export</b>, choose <b class="uiTerm">Selected Objects</b>. Then in the graphics window, click on the <b class="uiTerm">Flat Pattern</b> group. (It should all highlight at once.)
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            <p class="para_item">For (the second) <b class="uiTerm">Export</b>, choose <b class="uiTerm">Selected View</b>, select FLAT-PATTERN from the <b class="uiTerm">View List</b>, then click <b class="uiTerm">OK</b> to export.
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      <p class="para_division">You can also use <b class="uiTerm">Save As</b> to save your flat pattern:
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      <p class="para_division">Choose <b class="uiTerm">File</b>&rarr;<b class="uiTerm">Save As</b>, specify a name and a folder location for the file, and for <b class="uiTerm">Save as type</b>, select <b class="uiTerm">DXF</b> or <b class="uiTerm">DWG</b>.
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