Easily unfold hundreds of shapes
Plate ‘n’ Sheet Professional Software unfolds sheet metal shapes commonly used in the ducting, piping and other steel fabrication industries.
See our video below
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Plate 'n' Sheet trial is available - see button top right of page
Unfold shapes with full control
With Plate ‘n’ Sheet there is no need to construct a 3D model. Quick results can be obtained by users with very little CAD experience.
Our unfolding sheet metal software easily unfold hundreds of shapes without using any drafting or 3D modeling programs.
Flattened shapes can be produced quickly and easily by entering values such as diameter, height and angles into a user-friendly dialogue box.
Our unfolding software also will give you complete control over dimensions and other parameters that define the shape. These may be altered at any time and the appearance shape will change dynamically.
Where possible, error messages will let you know if a parameter is not valid for the shape being created. Several dimensioning modes are available and the result will be a pattern that can be printed or exported as a DXF for use in other CAD applications like AutoCAD®.
How to unfold sheet metal using Plate ‘n’ Sheet
Start Plate ‘n’ Sheet and click the “New” button and select a category by clicking on one of the shape images. Use the left and right pointer buttons to scroll through the choices until you find the one that is the best match for the information.
After selecting the shape you will see a diagram and parameters at the upper left. Enter the values that define the sheet metal shape.
Then look to the drawing window on the right which will display various views including your flatten template.
View the 3D model by clicking any of the view buttons. If the model is not visible or partly off the screen click the “Zoom Extents”.
When you are satisfied with the appearance of the model click the “Develop Pattern” button to view the pattern. You may alternate between model view and pattern view as you wish.
Add dimensions if required. There are several different methods available, displayed in the “Dimension” pull down menu.
Print the image to your Windows System printer or export a DXF file for use in a CAD program or profile cutter.
Plate 'n' Sheet trial is available - see button top right of page
Sheet metal software features:
- Over 50 developments and variations
- Fast, accurate and simple to use
- Saves pattern as DXF for importing into most CAD programs
- Automatic dimensioning
- Full size patterns may be printed across multiple sheets
- Allowances may be applied for material thickness and overlapping seams
- Rendered 3D models and unfolded patterns may be transferred directly to AutoCAD if installed
The shapes may be viewed as either a 3D model or as a flat pattern at any stage of the process. Tools are supplied to zoom in or out to see the shape in detail. If it is being viewed as a model, several viewing angles (top, front, side, end and four isometric angles) are available at the click of a button and true length measurements may be taken from the model.
Shapes and transitions include:
- Branches,
- Oblique cones and Reducers.
- Lobster-back bends.
- Breech pieces
- Prisms Pyramids
- Right cone frustums
- Right cone truncations
- Pipe to cone branches
- Rectangle to round
- Oblique cylinders
- Elbows at any angle
- Transitions
- Auger-Screw
Even more shapes and fittings:
- Baffle Plate
- Breeches
- Cone To Cone
- Cone To Oblique Cone
- Cone To Pipe
- Elbow – Cone To Cone
- Elbow – Cone To Pipe
- Elbow – Pipe To Cone
- Elbow – Pipe To Pipe
- Ellipse to Ellipse
- Ellipse to Rectangle
- Ellipse to Round
- Helicals (Parallel)
- Helicals (Tapered)
- Hexagon To Round
- Import Mesh
- Oblique Cone
- Oblique Cylinder
- Octagon To Round
- One Pipe Cut by a Plate
- Oval Cylinder
- Oval To Oval
- Oval To Rectangle
- Oval To Round
- Pipe / Cone Through a Plate
- Pipe Gusset
- Pipe To Bend
- Pipe To Cone
- Pipe To Oblique Cone
- Pipe To Pipe
- Pipe To Pipe (Multiple Pipes)
- Prism
- Pyramid
- Rectangle To Cone
- Rectangle To Oblique Cone
- Rectangle To Pipe
- Rectangle To Rectangle
- Rectangle To Round
- Rectangular Chute
- Rectangular Junction
- Rectangular Straight
- Reducing Breech
- Right Cone Frustum
- Right Cone Truncation
- Right Cylinder
- Round To Round
- Segmented Bend (Cylindrical)
- Segmented Bend (Oval)
- Segmented Bend (Tapered)
- Two Pipes Cut by a Plate
- Vessel End Caps
Viewing the model or sheet metal pattern:
Pan
Use “Pan” when you wish to center the image on the screen. Pan moves the field of view without changing the magnification. While the model or pattern appears to move on the screen, it is important to realize that the field of view is all that is changing and that the coordinates of any point on the model do not change.
Zoom Window
Use when you wish to magnify a part of the model or pattern to get a closer look at it. Pick the diagonal corners of a box or window around the area you wish to examine. Note: After picking the first corner with the left mouse button, hold the button down and release it when the window is the correct size. The area inside the window is enlarged to fill the screen. A message is displayed when the limits of magnification are at the maximum.
Zoom In
Use when you want a closer look at the image on the screen. For example if the image is too small, use zoom in to enlarge the image on the screen. As with other display functions, it is important to realize that only the image is getting larger, measured distances and dimensions on the shape do not change. It is similar in principle to viewing an object through a magnifying glass.
Zoom Out
Use when you wish to make the image appear smaller on the screen. See also Zoom In.
Zoom Extents
Use when you wish to zoom the image so that it is as large as possible while still fitting all of the image onto the screen.
Zoom Previous
Return to the previous zoom or panned state. You may “zoom previous” repeatedly until you eventually return to the first view of the item
Shipping Options:
1) Software is delivered electronically.
2) Multi-user network licensing also available
3) We recommend backing up your file after download to a cloud/ external drive.
Sheet Metal Unfolding Tutorials:
These tutorials can be downloaded from the menu below by right clicking on the link and selecting “Save As”. The tutorials are in PDF format and require Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Sheet Metal Tutorial 1 – Creating a Pattern, Apply Thickness, Viewing, Zoom & Pan
Sheet Metal Tutorial 2 – Properties, Special Properties & Lap Joins
Sheet Metal Tutorial 3 – Automatic & Manual Dimensioning
Sheet Metal Tutorial 4 – Measuring, Estimating, Export DXF, Send to AutoCAD
Sheet Metal Tutorial 5 – Global Settings, Moving & Rotate, Import Mesh from AutoCAD
Save Big On Plate ‘n’ Sheet
Price: Now $979