Sovelia Inventor Sheet Metal Flat Pattern - To Export or Not to Export?

Streamlining Sheet Metal Flat Pattern Exports from Autodesk Inventor

When it comes to sheet metal design, Autodesk Inventor provides a robust and efficient platform. It offers powerful tools not only for modeling but also for generating flat patterns—critical outputs for downstream manufacturing processes like laser cutting, waterjet, and nesting. The Inventor Nesting utility further enhances layout optimisation, helping engineers make the most of raw material use.

But exporting flat patterns is not just a matter of clicking "Save As." There’s more to consider—especially when it comes to file control, version management, and manufacturing accuracy.

Exporting with Sovelia Inventor: Automation with Flexibility

With Sovelia Inventor, users can export flat patterns in common formats such as DXF, SAT, or DWG—either manually or automatically during the save process. What makes Sovelia Inventor stand out is its ability to include metadata or text identifiers within these exports. This makes it easier for downstream systems—like nesting software or CAM platforms—to recognise, organise, and process these files correctly, as demonstrated in the accompanying videos.v

This functionality has been part of Sovelia Inventor since the 2010 release of Autodesk Inventor and has proven its value across thousands of user cases. However, just because you can export secondary files from Inventor at any time doesn't necessarily mean you should.

The Risk of Uncontrolled Flat Pattern Exports

Here lies the core of the issue: exporting flat patterns without control can introduce serious risks. When DXF or DWG files are created ad hoc—outside of a managed workflow—there’s no guarantee that they reflect the most up-to-date design. This opens the door to a variety of costly problems, including:

• • • • • Fabrication based on outdated or incorrect files

        • Material waste due to inaccurate cuts

        • Time lost to rework and troubleshooting

        • Potential product failures in the field

Without version control and traceability, there's no way to know which export was used, when it was created, or by whom. That lack of accountability can become a significant liability in fast-paced engineering environments.

Why PDM Matters: Controlled Exports with Autodesk Vault

If your organisation uses a Product Data Management (PDM) system like Autodesk Vault, the best practice is to only export secondary formats—like flat pattern DXFs—once the model has reached a released state. This ensures the exported files are verified, documented, and aligned with the approved design data.

Vault keeps a full history of the design process, enforces release workflows, and can prevent premature exports of unreleased parts. By tagging unreleased designs appropriately, engineers can avoid the risk of those files accidentally ending up in manufacturing.

Sovelia Vault + Property Editor: The Smarter Workflow

So, what’s the best approach? Use Sovelia Inventor’s Property Editor to tag files with relevant manufacturing details—such as whether a part is intended for laser cutting, waterjet, or CNC machining. These tags act as triggers for Sovelia Vault to generate the correct secondary format, in the correct location, at the correct time.

With Sovelia Vault, you can automate:

• • • • • Which types of secondary files are created (e.g., DXF, PDF, STP)

        • When these files are created (typically upon release)

        • Where they are stored or delivered (e.g., a shared network location or vendor folder)

This level of control and automation eliminates manual steps, reduces the risk of error, and ensures manufacturing always works from the right data.

Safe, Structured, and Scalable

In summary, Sovelia Inventor, when paired with Autodesk Vault and Sovelia Vault, creates a structured and scalable approach to flat pattern export. It brings together the flexibility of Inventor with the control and automation needed to meet manufacturing and traceability standards.

Whether you're producing one-off components or scaling up for high-volume production, these tools ensure your flat pattern exports are always reliable, repeatable, and right.

See It in Action

Check out the following videos for practical demonstrations:

• • • • • Action Secondary Formats with Sovelia Vault

        • Sovelia Inventor 2024 Flat Pattern Export

Need Help? Talk to Symetri

Every engineering team has unique needs. If you’re unsure how to best implement Sovelia Inventor or Sovelia Vault in your workflow, our experts at Symetri are here to help.

Reach out to us for a consultation or tailored advice. Sovelia contact us information | Sovelia