# ConeCalc Help

ConeCalc is a program to calculate the flat sheet metal pattern needed to construct a cone of certain dimensions.

Filling the cone dimensions

On the Enter Data tab is a picture of an example finished cone shape. It is a cross section view. It has the possible dimensions labeled.

You can choose Full cone or Half cone. Half cone would be helpful if you needed to make it in two halves and weld it together.

Enter the desired dimensions of the finished cone shape.
You only need to enter one diameter and two others of the five possible dimensions of the final cone. The other dimensions will be calculated from these.

You can enter a Part Number for identification purposes.

- Diameter A is the bottom diameter and needs to be larger than the top diameter.
- Diameter B is the top diameter.
- Height is the height of the cone. If material is thick use the height from the inside corners or outside corners, but not both.
- Angle is optional in case you don't have one of the other dimensions.
- Length is the length along the angle of the cone.
- Overlap is optional. See below.

These dimensions are system agnostic, so if you enter the cone dimensions inches the result will be in inches and if you enter the cone dimensions in millimeters the results will be in millimeters.

To calculate the result, click "Calculate" on the Main Menu, or press F2 function key.

Optionally, you can enter the size of a sheet of material for calculating how many flat cone patterns will fit on it.

Enter a value in "Clearance Between" if you want there to be a distance horizontal and for extra spacing between the patterns on the sheet.

After calculating, you can see the results on the Result and the Sheet tabs.

On the Result tab you will find the dimensions of the resulting flat pattern that you would manufacture and later bend around so the two straight edges meet. the result is a cone shape.

A drawing is made in the window of the flat pattern shape with the dimensions labeled.

You will notice that this example the last two items in the Enter Cone Dimensions box are green. The green items were calculauted from the other data that was given for your reference.

If you entered a sheet size, there will be a drawing representation on the Sheet tab.

You can zoom and pan the drawing. Zoom in and out with the mouse wheel. Control-Left-Mouse button, or Middle Mouse button will drag the picture around.
The Zoom All button will bring you back to window size.

## Overlap

Normally, the flat pattern dimensions are are exact and dont have any extra material for overlapping the edges. If you want extra material on the edges of the cone then add here. The material is added evenly along one edge. If you enter 0.5" for overlap the shape of the original will be produced on the screen with the addition of red lines offset from each edge by 0.25. The dimensions shown will be to the red lines of the extra material.

## Saving and Loading

You can save the cone dimensions you entered incase you want to use them again later.
Main Menu - File - Save Data

You can load those settings again with Main Menu - File - Open

## Printing

You can print out a single sheet report that shows the cone dimensions entered, flat pattern results, and drawings of the single and full sheet flat patterns.

Main Menu - File - Print

## Saving drawing to CAD file

It is possible to save the single and sheet flat patterns to a CAD file for importing into another CAD program.

Each one is saved by pressing the button on its own tab. Save the single pattern by pressing the Save CAD button on the Result tab and save the sheet pattern by pressing Save CAD button the the Sheet tab.

File can be saved as DXF, CDL or IGS format. In Windows you can choose the filetype from the dropdown list. In OSX it will save it according to what file extension you give it. Output unit is Inches.

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