There are plenty of unfold software tools. I would look at this one at it opens Rhino / Moi 3dm files . Its very clever, as it takes material thickness into account.
>> Not sure that it developps object as volume result ? Only as surface ...
Frenchy: Yes, the result is a surface, but this surface is calculated depending on the material and the material thickness to unroll. Let me cite the manual:
<snip>
Material: Use the "Material" menu to select the material (e.g. paper, steel, PETG) and material thickness to use. Lamina will take your material and its thickness into account when designing the 2-D cut path, to assure a proper fit of all the final pieces
</snip>
In case of!
Remember there is a little free plugin for SKetchUp by Sdmitch : Sheet Metal Bender http://sdmitch.blogspot.com
The last free version of Sketchup who can use Plugins is the SketchUp Make 2017 !
Curviloft by Fredo6
For something without "gorge" there is the native function!
Using Flow as an unfold tool is theoretical brilliant. As long as you need no close tolerances for practical produktion.
The "newtral" line is not allways in the middle between the outlines. During the bending process the outside material will
be stretched and the inside material comes under kompression. That means the layer of the inside will be thicker and at the outside thinner; and the newtral line changed allways it's position depending of the relation between bending radius and the
thickness of the material.
For this universitys made a lot of testlines to find a formula for a factor you can use for the rigth unfolded length of
bending bows. For every combination of thickness and inside radius you will have a special K-number.
Example: Inner bending radius = thicknes of the sheet; K-number =0,365
Inner bending radius = 2 x " " ; K-number =0,400
Interpolation is possible.
This exaple works with normal sheets up 5 mm thicknes.
To work with sheets need a lot of expiriences and allways testbendings.
lamina.jpg
