C21 / Four-panel development

C21 · Rectangular funnel · centered or offset

Calculate centered or offset rectangular transitions, true panel lengths and flat trapezoids, then inspect cutting and assembly in 3D.

Beta · panel geometry

Plan your rise

Edit dimensions ↑
Panel 1U 800 · B 400 · S 514.2 mmPanel 2U 600 · B 300 · S 559.02 mmPanel 3U 800 · B 400 · S 531.41 mmPanel 4U 600 · B 300 · S 522.02 mm

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Assemble the panels about their lower reference edges and join the corner seams. These edges locate assembly; they do not imply a retained material hinge.

True-size panel patterns

Panel 1U 800 · B 400 · S 514.2 mmPanel 2U 600 · B 300 · S 559.02 mmPanel 3U 800 · B 400 · S 531.41 mmPanel 4U 600 · B 300 · S 522.02 mm
PanelUpper edgeLower edgeTrue face heightLeft corner edgeRight corner edge
1800 mm400 mm514.2 mm535.63 mm571.75 mm
2600 mm300 mm559.02 mm571.75 mm587.28 mm
3800 mm400 mm531.41 mm587.28 mm552.18 mm
4600 mm300 mm522.02 mm552.18 mm535.63 mm

Ideal sharp, zero-thickness panel geometry. Panel dimensions exclude kerf, bend allowance, seams, overlap tabs, fasteners and the openings cut in the parent tray. The assembly is a separate-panel method; confirm the actual joining detail.

Measure the two openings

Upper length and width describe the rectangular opening at the top of the transition. Lower length and width describe the actual lower opening; use clear, consistent reference faces. Height is the perpendicular distance between the opening planes, not a slant length. Both openings are parallel and their edges are aligned with the same X/Z axes.

Offsets move the upper opening center relative to the lower opening: positive X follows the opening length; positive Z follows its width. Zero offsets give a centered transition. Offset panels generally have different side-edge lengths; read each panel separately.

How the flat patterns are calculated

For a centered shape, dx = (upper length − lower length) / 2 and dz = (upper width − lower width) / 2. True face heights are √(H² + dz²) for the length-edge panels and √(H² + dx²) for the width-edge panels. A corner edge is √(H² + dx² + dz²). With offsets, each panel uses its own perpendicular setback and along-edge shift.

Each four-corner panel is unfolded by an isometry: all four edges and both diagonals match the 3D panel. The assembly animation rotates each panel rigidly about a reference edge. It does not interpolate or stretch the sheet.

Default example

800 × 600 mm → 400 × 300 mm · H 500 mm True face height: 514.20 mm / 559.02 mm / 531.41 mm / 522.02 mm.

Fabrication and assembly method

  1. Inspect the four rectangular panel blanks. These are separate panels, not a continuous tray blank.
  2. Mark each true trapezoid outline on its blank. Red lines are the panel cut boundaries.
  3. Cut the four panels to the marked outlines; the separated panels show their finished boundaries.
  4. Assemble the panels about their lower reference edges and join the corner seams. These edges locate assembly; they do not imply a retained material hinge.

Ideal sharp, zero-thickness panel geometry. Panel dimensions exclude kerf, bend allowance, seams, overlap tabs, fasteners and the openings cut in the parent tray. The assembly is a separate-panel method; confirm the actual joining detail.

Independent TrayNeo panel-development method. Reference-product correspondence remains under review.

Geometry references

Rectangular transition: face-height equations ↗
NPTEL · True-length development ↗

Related calculators

Other rectangular funnel method ↗
All numbered methods ↗