ok, this has been bugging me. There HAS to be a better way to do this, and I'm hoping someone here has an idea...

first pic is just a picture of the part i am referring to.

The ONLY way i can get a flat view in the drawing that is actually normal-to the flat surface is to go back into the model, go to the specified configurations flat pattern, click the surface, look normal-to, go back to the drawing and insert a model view with the "current view" selection.

f.y.i. this part has 6 different configurations created through a design table, since the part has 6 different sizes that can be made, so in turn the drawing has 6 tabs. and i have many of these parts that I am needing to modify. which is why im looking for a faster way to do it. this was MUCH simpler when my part was a full half circle, because the top view was actually normal-to the flat surface when flattened. but my change requires trimming each end of the plate so that there is a gap where the 2 halves meet. (see image below)

it just seems that there should be a much simpler way to insert a flat pattern that is normal-to the flat surface.

selecting the "flat pattern" option still doesnt give me a normal-to view in my drawing.