topic Re: Drawings - Sketches in Sheet Formats and Templates Gone in Inventor Forum

Drawings - Sketches in Sheet Formats and Templates Gone

Rhowell8UR9F — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 19:00:16 GMT

I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong so I'm posting here before I submit an idea. Will post screencast when approved.

Basically, I have a sketch that I make of the border to which I add lines and labels to essentially create boxes around different sets of views. What I do is I create a sketch on a sheet, set the (0, 0) point down and fix it, then create a sketch only rectangle that matches the border. Then within that border I add lines that aren't sketch only around the views I've placed on my sheet. It's clean and works well for what I need.

The problem is that it deletes that initial sketch when I open the drawing as a template or even try and save the sheet format and create a new sheet with that sketch on it. All sheet sketches are lost when opening a template or creating a new sheet based on a saved format.

I don't want to make this a sketch symbol because I would like to edit it with the views visible. I also don't want to attach it to the border sketch for the same reason and because the initial sketch is standard but the lines that are added to it are not.

Re: Drawings - Sketches in Sheet Formats and Templates Gone

SharkDesign — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 19:15:14 GMT

Yep, this is the way it works.

Interestingly, if you open the template file again, the sketches are there, but when creating a new file from that template they are gone.

Even more interesting is that when picking the template on new file creation, you can even see your sketches in the preview window, but gone when the document opens.

Only real option is to create a drawing with your sketches, then in Windows, change the property to 'read only' to stop it getting written over by mistake and just open that file and do a save as each time.

Re: Drawings - Sketches in Sheet Formats and Templates Gone

JDMather — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 19:40:11 GMT

@SharkDesign wrote:

Even more interesting is that when picking the template on new file creation, you can even see your sketches in the preview window, but gone when the document opens.

Actually not very interesting at all.

I had to explain this over and over back in the last century to AutoCAD users.

The preview window is no indication of what is in the file - in fact you can create any Preview Picture you want.

It is merely a small screenshot bitmap captured at some point (or added by designer).

Note that you can Capture a thumbnail preview image or import an image if you like.

Re: Drawings - Sketches in Sheet Formats and Templates Gone

SharkDesign — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 19:42:15 GMT

Haha, good point!

Re: Drawings - Sketches in Sheet Formats and Templates Gone

Rhowell8UR9F — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 13:53:15 GMT

I would definitely like to be able to maintain sheet sketches. Anyway, instead I just created a script that makes the sketch on new document anyway. Hooray for hobbyist programming!

Re: Drawings - Sketches in Sheet Formats and Templates Gone

i.rudd — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 13:04:30 GMT

I also have a simmilar problem.

I will turn what I have sketched into a symbol. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to know if there is a way of keeping the sketches of the template when creating new drawing.

Regards,

Re: Drawings - Sketches in Sheet Formats and Templates Gone

johnsonshiue — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 21:32:14 GMT

Hi! I am not aware of a way to retain a drawing sketch in the template. I think you may want to create a sketch symbol instead. It is not a drawing sketch however.

Many thanks!

Re: Drawings - Sketches in Sheet Formats and Templates Gone

HermJan.Otterman — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 15:35:57 GMT

instead of using the drawing as a template, you can copy it, give it a new name and then the drawingSketches are still there...