New to SketchUp - help needed creating something

[Mayo]

I'm very new to SketchUp & working with the free version so far - I'm sure I'll get this eventually, but maybe some of you regular SketchUp users already know how to do this. I've played around with trying to figure it out for a couple hours but I'm just not getting part of it. So if someone could either talk me through it, or if it's more lengthy a process than I think it should be, I'd be happy to pay for the part file.

I want to create a cylinder shape 8 inches tall and 6 inch diameter, with a 3 inch x 8 inch flat side section. The top of the cylinder is open, and the bottom will have a piece that fits inside of the cylinder. (I've already drawn this in another program but getting the bottom piece to fit accurately has been trial and error and I'm wasting materials, so I figured SketchUp would help get the pieces to fit better)

I've been able to get my round cylinder shape in the dimensions I want but so far in SketchUp I have been unable to make the flat section on the side of the cylinder. I also need to cut the top of the cylinder on an angle, so that it goes from 8 inches to 6 inches. Cutting the top on an angle will make the flat side of the cylinder 3 inches wide and 6 inches tall.

I want to unfold or flatten this so I can cut it on my bot, then by bending the plastic around a form or with pipe clamps, I'll get it to join itself in the middle of the flat section with the jigsaw shape. The bottom piece for the tube would be less than the inner diameter of the tube shape (to account for the material thickness) so that it fits inside the walls of the tube. My material thickness is .093" This piece will have a flat side that matches the flat side of the cylinder.

I don't have Partworks. I can create my Shopbot cutting files from .eps or .dxf or .ai or CorelDraw ver 9 or earlier files.

I included drawings below to give a better idea of the shape I'm trying to get.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[jdervin]

I'm not sure how to unwrap/flatten the cylinder in Sketchup, but I think this file (done in Sketchup v7.1) meets the rest of your specifications -- including a .093" piece that will fit into the bottom. Hopefully you find this helpful.

[Mayo]

That's awesome John - thank you very much!

There's a script available called Flattery that may do the flattening.
I think I may have got it at www.phlatforum.com
I'll play around some more with it and see if it works.

[pontus_moller]

There's a script available called Flattery that may do the flattening.
I think I may have got it at www.phlatforum.com (http://www.phlatforum.com)
I'll play around some more with it and see if it works.

I use a plugin called Jim´s Unfold Tool (http://sketchuptips.blogspot.com/2007/08/plugin-unfoldrb.html). Works great and on youtube you have a tutorial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcnyFolpVBg). A really easy and useful plugin for Sketchup.