Creating basic 2D drawings of Sheet Metal parts

Now that we know the basics of making Sheet Metal models, we can explore how we can create 2D drawings that can be used to actually make these parts. Drawings are especially important for Sheet Metal models because sheet metal production processes can often be less automated than other manufacturing methods such as computer numerical control (CNC) machining or injection molding. An example of a SolidWorks Sheet Metal drawing can be seen in Figure 4.2.

Figure 4.2: An example SolidWorks Sheet Metal drawing

This section assumes that you already understand the basics of creating SolidWorks drawings. The chapter is not intended to be an overall guide to sheet metal and layouts (which vary between countries and organizations); it will simply demonstrate some additional Sheet Metal-specific features that are needed for SolidWorks drawings.

First, we will create a very simple part that can be used to demonstrate drawing...