CAD Forum

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2021 9:04 am**

What is your preferred method for recreating sketches?

I have a situation where I have to have the same, similar sketch on multiple sides of a part. 4,6 or 8 sides. In a perfect world I would somehow array these sketches but apparently that can't be done or not that I see can be done.

How I currently do it is open the sketch copy everything and paste it on the other face. That's fairly quick and all you have to do is re-add the dims that locate the sketch to some feature. This is not terrible until you have to do it eight times with 7-8 sketches.

These sketches are not being used for features so I can't array the feature, they are being used for CAM paths.

So is there a simple way, better way some super cool trick I'm not aware of or just something simple I don't know about?

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2021 9:11 am**

Library feature.

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2021 9:16 am**

Would sketch blocks work for this?

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2021 9:23 am**

Copy paste? Generally works for me, the dimensions that are taken on an edge are lost but everything else remains as is.

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2021 9:42 am**

JSculley wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 9:11 am Library feature.

I think Library feature would be a great way to go if the sketches on all the parts were the same. Unfortunately on one part I may need 3 copies, and on the next part I might need seven copies but the sketch on the 3 copy part would be different than the sketch on the seven copy part.

Also this is a "One and done" situation not "Every part". I'm putting these sketches into a driveworks model so I won't have to put them on every part we create.

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2021 9:44 am**

MJuric wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 9:04 am What is your preferred method for recreating sketches?

I have a situation where I have to have the same, similar sketch on multiple sides of a part. 4,6 or 8 sides. In a perfect world I would somehow array these sketches but apparently that can't be done or not that I see can be done.

How I currently do it is open the sketch copy everything and paste it on the other face. That's fairly quick and all you have to do is re-add the dims that locate the sketch to some feature. This is not terrible until you have to do it eight times with 7-8 sketches.

These sketches are not being used for features so I can't array the feature, they are being used for CAM paths.

So is there a simple way, better way some super cool trick I'm not aware of or just something simple I don't know about?

I'd probably do a derived sketch.

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2021 9:48 am**

SPerman wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 9:16 am Would sketch blocks work for this?

Not used them very often in SW. Can you tie dimensions of the sketch to the insertion point? In other words if I choose an insertion point, say it's a point, and dimension the sketch to it, when I insert the block will the point be "Fixed" to whatever geometry I place it on and thus the entire sketch is constrained? If so that saves the re-dim to features to tie the sketch down.

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2021 9:52 am**

MJuric wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 9:48 am Not used them very often in SW. Can you tie dimensions of the sketch to the insertion point? In other words if I choose an insertion point, say it's a point, and dimension the sketch to it, when I insert the block will the point be "Fixed" to whatever geometry I place it on and thus the entire sketch is constrained? If so that saves the re-dim to features to tie the sketch down.

You will need to mate the "point" and then add some sort of parralelism so that the block does not rotate around the point, but yes it will behave as desired.

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2021 9:54 am**

matt wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 9:44 am I'd probably do a derived sketch.

I've never used that. It looks similar to copy paste but saves a few steps of connecting dims and "Copy paste" stuff. I'll check it out.

Thanks

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2021 9:56 am**

MJuric wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 9:54 am I've never used that. It looks similar to copy paste but saves a few steps of connecting dims and "Copy paste" stuff. I'll check it out.

Thanks

Plus, it's a parametric link, so if you change the original, the copies will update.

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2021 10:05 am**

matt wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 9:44 am I'd probably do a derived sketch.

Is there a way to flip the direction of a derived sketch? In my case I want the sketch to be the same in relationship to the face. Derived sketches appear to duplicate regardless of face normal. So for instance If I shorten the area I have circled and crossed out those two lines are tied together. What I actually need is for the sketch to go the other way as shown in my other red squiggles. Otherwise that is pretty quick.

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2021 10:15 am**

MJuric wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 10:05 am Is there a way to flip the direction of a derived sketch? In my case I want the sketch to be the same in relationship to the face. Derived sketches appear to duplicate regardless of face normal. So for instance If I shorten the area I have circled and crossed out those two lines are tied together. What I actually need is for the sketch to go the other way as shown in my other red squiggles. Otherwise that is pretty quick.

image.png

I've always used the Tools>Sketch Tools>Modify,

: image.png (12.55 KiB) Viewed 1078 times

but there are more modern tools, like Tools>Sketch Tools>Move/Rotate/Scale/Copy

: image.png (8.07 KiB) Viewed 1078 times

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2021 10:23 am**

matt wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 10:15 am I've always used the Tools>Sketch Tools>Modify,

image.png

but there are more modern tools, like Tools>Sketch Tools>Move/Rotate/Scale/Copy

image.png

Those are the first thing I looked at but unless I'm missing something none of the tools except modify sketch are available on a derived sketch and modify sketch does not have a "Mirror" type option.

All of the rotate, mirror etc etc are greyed out once I enter the derived sketch but they are not on a regular sketch.

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2021 10:28 am**

MJuric wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 10:23 am Those are the first thing I looked at but unless I'm missing something none of the tools except modify sketch are available on a derived sketch and modify sketch does not have a "Mirror" type option.

All of the rotate, mirror etc etc are greyed out once I enter the derived sketch but they are not on a regular sketch.

Ah, but it does. Use the images on the little mouse preview and the black origin thingy. If you RMB on the short arm dot of the black origin, it mirrors. The joys of being an old time SW user. Click on the preview to play the gif.

Posted: **Thu May 13, 2021 11:07 am**

matt wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 10:28 am Ah, but it does. Use the images on the little mouse preview and the black origin thingy. If you RMB on the short arm dot of the black origin, it mirrors. The joys of being an old time SW user. Click on the preview to play the gif.

zzz.gif

NICE!!!!! I have never used that and that saves me a ton of time. Copy/Paste worked but then I had to link 4-5 dimensions to the original sketch so they would update together. This way all that is done and I just have to locate it.

Thank you!

Posted: **Sat May 15, 2021 5:53 am**

I had been using "derived sketches" for a long time for similar kind of needs. I do believe that it is one of the under used feature in SW.

CAD Forum

Recreate sketches.

Recreate sketches.

Re: Recreate sketches.

Re: Recreate sketches.

Re: Recreate sketches.

Re: Recreate sketches.

Re: Recreate sketches.

Re: Recreate sketches.

Re: Recreate sketches.

Re: Recreate sketches.

Re: Recreate sketches.

Re: Recreate sketches.

Re: Recreate sketches.

Re: Recreate sketches.

Re: Recreate sketches.

Re: Recreate sketches.

Re: Recreate sketches.