Letter 'M' appearing behind some of ICMECH Utils 'Export unfold'

[HDEAR]

Hi all,

When using ICMECH Utils Export Unfold', some of the DWG files get the letter 'M' tacked on the end.

Why is this?

Thanks

Harley 

[jolizon590016]

Hi Harley,

I get this if there are mirrored parts in the BOM

Edited August 27, 2021 by jolizon590016

[HDEAR]

Thanks Joseph,

There are no mirrored parts on this

The addition of the M would make our fabricators contact us and ask if this is some modification or revision, so I have to change the file name every time this appears. It's a bit of time-wasting when you have say 28 parts to send to the factory floor.

Edited August 28, 2021 by HDEAR

[IronKevin]

I’ll ask the developer, I’m not really sure about this one.

[jolizon590016]

Hi Guys,

I hope we get to the bottom of this. Harley is right, as I had a rough with my former employer and laser cut provider with this one:

If

On my end, if I use IC Mech Export unfold without a generated icd drawing, it does not have a M. But if have generated a ICD with BOM, it generates the M suffix.

regards

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by jolizon590016

[maurizio@fronema]

Joseph,

you are right, the char M is added to the file names where the part is mirrored.

This is done in order to be sure that two parts having the same informations

(PartName, PartNumber, Material etc.) but with different mirror state, are both

exported to DXF.

 

I hope this make sense to you

M

[jolizon590016]

Hi Maurizio,

Thanks for the info. It present a bit of a mess if management requires a excel sheet for the unfolded parts quote to a supplier. Reconciling it with BOM parts against the unfolded file names require copying the folder files path to excel and try to rename  and put it on the right row is time consuming and present more errors in typing to get it right. People not verse with IC find this confusing and frustrating on their end.

However in Harley's case there was no mirrored part. Please advise.

Kind regards,

Joseph

 

Edited August 30, 2021 by jolizon590016

[Jonas@Solidmakarna]

Maybe the part is mirrored (about it's own axis = with the TriBall)?

For me, and in practice / IRL, something that has been mirrored is in relation to something that isn't mirrored. But in CAD you can mirror about itself without the need for a "none-mirrored" pair.

Click on the Filter icon in the top right corner of the Scene Browser:

Select to show the Mirror Part or Assembly filter.

An object that is being mirrored "about itself" with the TriBall...

...will now be shown with another text color and an extra "mirror icon" in the tree structure.

Remember that this is a function of the position/orientation in the XYZ space and not a relation to another object.

In v2022 there will be a new setting for the Part Number and Description to be set differently per object, when it is being mirrored, even if it is linked (in geometry) with other objects.

[Jonas@Solidmakarna]

Btw, to remove the "mirror function" of an object in the 3D Scene, select it and activate the TriBall.

Right click in the Background and select Orient TriBall to Global (Eliminate Mirroring).

In case the plate/model/object isn't "symmetrical with itself", you might have to reposition some of the features withing the parts. Usually this isn't a big task - use the TriBall!

Edited August 30, 2021 by Jonas@Solidmakarna

[jolizon590016]

Thanks Jonas and Maurizio

[HDEAR]

Good information there everybody, but my my parts were not mirrored. How did that M get there?

Harley

[jolizon590016]

Hi Harley, I've asked about your case and still no feedback yet . It seems to be a mystery at the moment.

[maurizio@fronema]

Hi Harley,

in a technical point of view, when the positional matrix of an element or his parents has a mirror transformation,

the ExportUnfold tool add the char M to the FileName.

If you can send me your not mirrored part that is exported with the M char, I can evaluate the reason of that.

 

Thanks

M