topic Re: Failure projecting into 2D sketch using area select in Inventor Forum

Failure projecting into 2D sketch using area select

tom_sturtevantCWS4C — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 22:44:01 GMT

I've got a simple part (attached) with some extruded sketch text (which may or may not be my WiFi network/password 🙄). If I create a new sketch, start the Project Geometry command, and area select the entire part, Inventor works for a loooong time before reporting a failure, or sometimes generating sick/pink projections.

I hit this through user error - I didn't realize the projection command was still active when I did the area select - but the behavior could be improved.

Area select for projection seems problematic in general. I tried a very simple part with a single cylindrical extrusion. If I area select the cylinder to project geometry it looks like I end up with 6(?) fully coincident projected circles and three projected loops showing in the browser. No one wants that result.

T0M

Re: Failure projecting into 2D sketch using area select

kacper.suchomski — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 13:42:30 GMT

I cannot reproduce this problem.

All face projections take about 1 second.
The exception is the projection of intersecting edges, which considers all faces simultaneously and takes several seconds.

Pointing at the selected face again brings up a warning message box - you must consciously agree to this error to get it.

Multiple loops are naturally possible when I select multiple faces in succession.

I recommend checking if you have the latest Inventor, Windows, and graphics card driver updates installed.

(view in My Videos)

Re: Failure projecting into 2D sketch using area select

tom_sturtevantCWS4C — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 14:33:42 GMT

Thanks Kacper -

Yes, the workflow you demonstrate works well. The problem shows up with area select (or "region" select?) where you you mouse-down/drag/mouse-up to select all objects within a region.

I had (successfully) projected some edges into my sketch and was trying to select all of the projected curves but didn't realize the projection command was still active...

Thanks,

T0M

Re: Failure projecting into 2D sketch using area select

kacper.suchomski — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 14:39:08 GMT

We need more information - please record your workflow.

Re: Failure projecting into 2D sketch using area select

dan_inv09 — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 15:24:33 GMT

So, is it projecting more curves when you are selecting the area for the extrusion?

When you are selecting the area in order to project it is getting the face for a loop and the edge - is it also projecting existing curves again? (or is it grabbing curves from other sketches?)

[Did it do it 3 times: project the edge and the loop, then the edge, the loop and the two projected curves, then the edge the loop and the and the two projected curves and the two projected curves of the two projected curves?)

Re: Failure projecting into 2D sketch using area select

tom_sturtevantCWS4C — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 16:14:19 GMT

It's really not complicated - just area selection in the projection command.

(view in My Videos)

Re: Failure projecting into 2D sketch using area select

tom_sturtevantCWS4C — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 16:23:02 GMT

Hi Dan -

I don't think it projects curves from the current active sketch. I think it projects all edges, faces, geometry from other visible sketches, work points, ect...

With the simple cylinder example I ended up with six projected curves. I assume one from each of the two circular edges, one from each of the two circular faces, and two more from the cylindrical face.

T0M

Re: Failure projecting into 2D sketch using area select

kacper.suchomski — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 16:43:54 GMT

Okay, now I understand.

It hadn't occurred to me until you showed it to me, because it's not the recommended workflow.

When you use the selection window, the program projects everything that is in this window - edges, faces; even those that are not on the sketch plane but "behind" the model.

This is a very logical (though intuitively unexpected) consequence.

This is simply not the right command for this scenario.

Re: Failure projecting into 2D sketch using area select

tom_sturtevantCWS4C — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 18:38:53 GMT

Hi Kacper -

I agree 100% that it is not the correct workflow.

My point (which I have not been making very clearly!) is that Inventor should consider changing the area select behavior while in the projection command.

IMO area select is very useful for projecting sketch geometry from one sketch to another. Area select on a body has bad consequences - long processing that may appear to be a hang, and/or creation of multiple fully-coincident pieces of projected geometry.

Maybe area select in the projection command should only allow selection of sketch geometry. Maybe sketch geometry and edges. Maybe only visible edges (nothing "behind")...

T0M