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Export every sheet metal flat pattern of an assembly to DXF

Exporting every sheet metal flat pattern of an assembly to DXF is what the laser, plasma or waterjet is waiting on. Done part by part, it’s where the wrong revision slips in. PDMPublisher walks the assembly references, skips anything that isn’t sheet metal, and writes a 1:1 flat pattern DXF per sheet metal part. It runs from the add-in or as a SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional task.

Sheet Metal Flat Pattern Settings dialog in PDMPublisher with geometry, bend line, sketch, forming tool, bounding box, per-body and -FlatPattern suffix options plus model views to export
Flat Pattern Settings: choose which entities go into the 1:1 DXF, split sheet metal bodies into separate DXFs and append -FlatPattern to the filename.

What you get

One 1:1 DXF per sheet metal part: profile, cutouts and, if you want, bend lines, sketches, forming tools and a bounding box. Other components are skipped: a frame with 40 parts and 12 sheet metal brackets gives 12 DXFs.

Export each sheet-metal body to a separate DXF gives a multi-body part one DXF per body. Append -FlatPattern to the flat pattern DXF file name gives Bracket-FlatPattern.dxf, so a drawing DXF from the same job can’t overwrite it. The dxf entry under File formats is a different thing: it converts drawings, and you don’t need it here.

The manual way, and why it doesn’t scale

Open each sheet metal part, right-click the Flat-Pattern feature, choose Export to DXF/DWG, pick geometry and bend lines, confirm the alignment, save. Multi-body parts: once per body.

Fine for one bracket. For the 30 sheet metal parts of an enclosure it’s an afternoon, and after the next ECO nobody knows which DXFs are current.

Export every sheet metal flat pattern with the add-in

  1. Open the top-level assembly in SOLIDWORKS, references resolved (Get Latest first).
  2. On the PDMPublisher tab, select Settings, then Publish.
  3. Set Export location, such as \\server\laser\DXF (no trailing backslash), and a Filename pattern such as (FileNameWithoutExtension)-(Revision).
  4. Tick Export references to file formats individually so every referenced part is processed; only the sheet metal ones produce a DXF.
  5. At the bottom of the Export section, tick Export sheet metal parts to 1:1 flat pattern DXF. Leave DXF under File formats alone unless you also want drawings converted.
  6. Select Flat Pattern Settings: geometry and bend lines to start; sketches, forming tools or bounding box only if the process uses them.
  7. Tick Export each sheet-metal body to a separate DXF for multi-body parts, and Append -FlatPattern if drawings go to DXF in the same job. Leave Model views to export cleared.
  8. On the Conditions page, add rules such as a custom property that must not equal Purchased. Tick Ignore sub-assembly children when condition checks fail to skip a rejected sub-assembly’s parts too.
  9. Select PDMPublisher > Publish, confirm the review dialog, then check Publishing results per part.

DXF is a Community Edition format of the add-in (with PDF and STEP), limited to 5 references per run. A larger assembly needs Premium.

Automate it as a PDM task

PDMPublisher for PDM Professional uses the same option and the same Flat Pattern Settings, so the laser share gets a fresh DXF set at every release.

  1. In PDM Administration, right-click Tasks, select New Task, choose PDMPublisher and name it.
  2. On the Options page, set Export Location (\\server\laser\DXF or (VaultRootFolder)\Flat Patterns\(Revision)) and the Filename pattern.
  3. Set Template to a BOM layout with name, configuration and quantity columns, and enable Export references to file formats individually.
  4. Tick Export sheet metal parts to 1:1 flat pattern DXF and choose the same Flat Pattern Settings as in the add-in.
  5. Add Conditions on PDM variables to filter references, with Ignore sub-assembly children when condition checks fail where needed.
  6. Pick Use this version of SOLIDWORKS and, for a release workflow, Get latest revision only.
  7. Attach the task to the release transition, leave it in the right-click menu, or run it from Scheduled Items.

Settings that matter for flat pattern DXF

SettingWhat it doesTip
Export references to file formats individuallyOne file per part and sub-assembly, beside the top-level export.Task: needs a BOM Template with name, configuration and quantity columns.
Export sheet metal parts to 1:1 flat pattern DXFFlat pattern export for the sheet metal parts in the job.Independent of DXF under File formats.
Export flat-pattern geometry / Export bend linesProfile, cutouts, visible edges and bend lines.The usual start for cutting and bending.
Include sketches / Export forming tools / Export bounding boxEtch marks, formed features and the stock rectangle.Only if the process uses them.
Export each sheet-metal body to a separate DXFOne DXF per body of a multi-body part.Split bodies doesn’t control this.
Append -FlatPattern to the flat pattern DXF file nameNames the output Name-FlatPattern.dxf.Keeps drawing and flat pattern DXFs from overwriting each other.

Naming and folders

Placeholders resolve when the job starts, so every DXF is named and routed the same way:

  • (FileNameWithoutExtension)-(Revision) with the -FlatPattern suffix: Bracket-B-FlatPattern.dxf.
  • ($PartNumber)-(Revision) in the task: PDM part number instead of filename, for shops that key on part numbers.
  • \\server\laser\DXF\(FileNameNumberRange) as the location: DXFs grouped by part-number range for nesting queues.

Customize Location (Premium in the add-in, standard in the task) sends dxf to the laser share while PDF and STEP from the same job stay in the vault. Enable the dxf row and it overrides the main Export location for that format only.

Tips and troubleshooting

  • DXF under File formats converts drawings, not flat patterns. PDMPublisher warns: DXF is selected. This only converts drawings to DXF. To export flat patterns, enable the sheet metal flat pattern option below.
  • Some sheet metal parts produced no DXF? Check Export references to file formats individually is on, local copies exist (Get Latest) and, in the task, the BOM Template columns.
  • Got a projected view instead of an unfolded profile? One of the Model views to export is ticked. Clear them all.
  • Multi-body part came out as one DXF? Enable Export each sheet-metal body to a separate DXF. The general Split bodies option doesn’t apply.
  • Community Edition of the add-in does PDF, DXF and STEP only, up to 5 references per run. The PDM task is licensed per vault with no such limit.

Availability

Available in PDMPublisher for SOLIDWORKS (the add-in) and PDMPublisher for PDM Professional (the task).

Documentation and related features

Frequently asked questions

How do I export all sheet metal flat patterns of a SOLIDWORKS assembly to DXF?

Enable Export references to file formats individually, tick Export sheet metal parts to 1:1 flat pattern DXF, pick entities under Flat Pattern Settings and Publish. Every sheet metal part gets a 1:1 DXF; the rest are skipped.

Do I need to tick DXF under File formats?

No. That entry converts drawings. Flat patterns are controlled only by the sheet metal option at the bottom of the Export section.

Can I skip purchased or non-sheet-metal parts?

Non-sheet-metal parts produce no DXF anyway. To skip specific references, add a condition on a custom property or PDM variable.

How do I keep the drawing DXF from overwriting the flat pattern DXF?

Enable Append -FlatPattern to the flat pattern DXF file name, or give the two outputs different folders with Customize Location.

Where to next

PDMPublisher for SOLIDWORKS · PDMPublisher for PDM Professional · All features · Conversion guides · Pricing · Documentation · Contact

The SOLIDWORKS add-in is free to start as the Community Edition. The PDM Professional task comes with a 7-day trial. Download the add-in or start the task trial.