Some Sheet Metal Features are Grayed out!!

[Jaylin Hochstetler]

I am working on this file and I want to do a closed corner but the Closed Corner feature is grayed out along with some of the other sheet metal features.

How am I supposed to do a closed corner? What causes this???????????!!!!!!
We have had some other weird issues with this particular file, like cutlist properties resetting. I suspicion it is a template issue.

image.png (5.82 KiB) Viewed 4869 times

It appears like it was created in 2007!! Which might explain some things.
BUT WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY??????????????
This is a massive multibody file so I am not about to remodel it.

[zwei]

Is the part created using Convert to sheet metal feature? I seem to recall coming across similar issue few years back...

If you can share the file or image then maybe we can understand it better?

[berg_lauritz]

...
It appears like it was created in 2007!!
...

This is the reason. I had this problem too. If you look at the feature tree you probably do not have a 'sheet metal' folder but only a feature.

This means that this part uses a f*ckin old template that causes numerous of issues (namely: greyed out 'newer' features, issues with the bounding box, issues with multiple flat patterns, issues with multi body parts, faces losing references after changing the part, flat patterns not flattening after changes; and those are only the ones I can think of right now).
Do not copy old sheet metal parts!
DO
NOT
COPY
OLD
PARTS!

[mike miller]

Do not copy old sheet metal parts!
DO
NOT
COPY
OLD
PARTS!

Sure. But what about legacy data? Come on, DSS!

The dumbest thing about the whole issue is the fact that Tab and Slot is available even though it only came out in 2018; but Closed Corner is not available although it was around long before 2007!

[jcapriotti]

I am working on this file and I want to do a closed corner but the Closed Corner feature is grayed out along with some of the other sheet metal features.
2021-11-11 15_36_57-Window.jpg
How am I supposed to do a closed corner? What causes this???????????!!!!!!
We have had some other weird issues with this particular file, like cutlist properties resetting. I suspicion it is a template issue.
image.png
It appears like it was created in 2007!! Which might explain some things.
BUT WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY??????????????
This is a massive multibody file so I am not about to remodel it.

Is it an old "insert bends" model?

[bnemec]

...
Do not copy old sheet metal parts!
DO
NOT
COPY
OLD
PARTS!

Is this really universally applied "rule" in Solidworks?

We're new to SW and this was/is normal workflow for us. I guess over a third of our parts are made by copying an existing (sometimes very old) file to a new file and making edits. Modeling similar parts from scratch instead of a save as or copy means mates will break when the parts are interchanged in new upper-level assemblies which is our normal workflow. Is it everyone's experience that copying old SW sheet metal models is sure to cause problems?

[jcapriotti]

Is it everyone's experience that copying old SW sheet metal models is sure to cause problems?

I think this is because SolidWorks changed how sheet metal worked way back in the day. Since you've been using it more recent, there should be less issues.

I opened a model done the "old" way in 1999. You model with regular features then "Insert" the "Bends". However nothing was grayed out. The Close Corner feature was tricky to get it to work with the old insert bends but you could do it with trial and error.

[Jaylin Hochstetler]

This is the reason. I had this problem too. If you look at the feature tree you probably do not have a 'sheet metal' folder but only a feature.
Screenshot 2021-11-12 094659.png
This means that this part uses a f*ckin old template that causes numerous of issues (namely: greyed out 'newer' features, issues with the bounding box, issues with multiple flat patterns, issues with multi body parts, faces losing references after changing the part, flat patterns not flattening after changes; and those are only the ones I can think of right now).
Do not copy old sheet metal parts!
DO
NOT
COPY
OLD
PARTS!

Nope, it is not that. In this part there is a "Sheet-Metal" folder with multiple "Sheet-Metal" features in it.

Is it an old "insert bends" model?

No, it's not one of those either.

For some reason I can't post a screenshot of it. I get an error that says "HTTP error". @matt, you know what the issue is? It might be something on my end.

[KevinC]

I am working on this file and I want to do a closed corner but the Closed Corner feature is grayed out along with some of the other sheet metal features.
2021-11-11 15_36_57-Window.jpg
How am I supposed to do a closed corner? What causes this???????????!!!!!!
We have had some other weird issues with this particular file, like cutlist properties resetting. I suspicion it is a template issue.
image.png
It appears like it was created in 2007!! Which might explain some things.
BUT WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY??????????????
This is a massive multibody file so I am not about to remodel it.

Now an explanation, but have you tried preselecting a corner face to see if this "ungrays" things?

[Jaylin Hochstetler]

Now an explanation, but have you tried preselecting a corner face to see if this "ungrays" things?

Yes, same thing.

I ended up migrating it to SolidEdge and doing it there.
Hey SolidWorks, if you can't do what I want you to, I will have to use a something different.

[Jaylin Hochstetler]

For some reason I can't post a screenshot of it. I get an error that says "HTTP error". @matt, you know what the issue is? It might be something on my end.

@matt It works now. We were having some issues with our proxy server so I suspect that was the cause.

[matt]

@matt It works now. We were having some issues with our proxy server so I suspect that was the cause.

I wish I could take credit for the fix, but I can't. There were some odd internet outages today with larger services, that might have had something to do with it.

[mp3-250]

Is this really universally applied "rule" in Solidworks?

We're new to SW and this was/is normal workflow for us. I guess over a third of our parts are made by copying an existing (sometimes very old) file to a new file and making edits. Modeling similar parts from scratch instead of a save as or copy means mates will break when the parts are interchanged in new upper-level assemblies which is our normal workflow. Is it everyone's experience that copying old SW sheet metal models is sure to cause problems?

From my short experience with SW (I came from Unigraphics/NX and a bit of ProE) the development team at SW likes to modify existing features and command instead of creating new one and hiding the old to keep backward compatibility. (like NX, so you can open 20 yrs old files without making your life miserable)