Hello,

I just started learning SolidWorks, so my question is likely very simple. I need some help designing a cone with "teeth" cut outs at the base. It will need to be a 3D version of this 2D picture:

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm185/vace117/cone2d.jpg

I already figured out how to make a hollow cone, make a tangential plane and use the Wrap tool to make a sketch and use it to cut the cone. Here's what I have so far:
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm185/vace117/Try1.jpg
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm185/vace117/Try1b.jpg

My problem with this is that I can't do the curved surface projection in my head accurately. I can draw my sketch on the tangential plane, but I have no idea how to dimension and distort it, so that when it gets wrapped around the cone, it will constitute exactly one half of that cone. With this method it seems that I'll either have to do A LOT of trial and error and then end up with an inaccurate model, or I need to do some 3D geometry transformations on paper so I can calculate the exact parameters for the sketch. Both seem like a lot of work - there's got to be a better way!

Another idea I have is to somehow "unwrap" my cone, sketch on the unwrapped version and then wrap it back into a cone. Maybe the Sheet Metal module in SW can help here?

Any advice would be appreciated.