How do I duplicate a single feature in a sketch?

[stickyfox]

I am creating a sketch of a part with a number of openings, which will largely be extruded to create the desired features.

Each opening is a complex shape. Some are simple circles or rectangles, but some are made with splines and arcs as well. Many are similar, but none are identical. They are referenced from a photo which I've placed as a canvas.

Rather than draw each one from scratch I would like to copy one that I've already painstakingly drawn and tweak the copy to fit a shape that is roughly similar. For example, suppose you're making refrigerator magnets that look like alphabet letters. You can make the letters 'P' and 'R' out of a 'B' relatively quickly.

However, I cannot simply select one shape and duplicate it with move/copy. The "create copy" checkbox disappears when I've selected a single object. I can only copy the entire sketch, with all of its features, into a new sketch, and then delete the entire rest of the sketch; after which I still have the new shape in a different sketch.

Is it possible to just select a single sketch entity and duplicate it? I tried searching these forums and all the answers I found were extraordinarily complicated given the simplicity of the task I'm attempting.

[jeff_strater]

Yeah, the lack of a "copy" button on Move for sketch objects is an unfortunate oversight.  You can copy/paste a selection of sketch objects, though.  Just select the objects, and choose "Copy" from the right click menu (or press CTRL-C or CMD-C on a Mac), and choose Paste (or CTRL-V, CMD-V).  This will paste the selected objects into the active sketch, and you can move them to their new positions.

[TheCADWhisperer]

Sketch Blocks would be nice!

[stickyfox]

Almost every time I attempt this, the copy command is not on the right-click menu, and ^c does nothing. Is there a condition I'm causing that makes copying illegal?

[TrippyLighting]

It may be wise to post at least a screenshot of one of your sketches so we can get a better understanding of what we’re dealing with 😉

[etfrench]

Is the sketch with the geometry to be copied the active sketch or are you trying to copy the geometry to a new sketch?  If the later, use the Project command followed by selecting the projected geometry and using the Break Link command.

[stickyfox]

I'm working in a single sketch. Suppose I wanted to take this 'B' and make it into a 'P' by copying all of these sketch objects and then deleting the lower two curves.

When I select one or more objects, the MOVE/COPY dialog is missing the "create a copy" checkbox at the bottom.

Maybe it's my background holding me back. What I'm trying to accomplish is the equivalent of the Sketchup move operator when you hit alt/option to leave the original feature in place and duplicate it elsewhere.

[etfrench]

Copy -> Paste -> Move

[TrippyLighting]

I am assuming your background might be a vector graphics program ?

I'd actually not copy sketch elements. In the end you want to have solid geometry.

I'd create a component and sketch for each individual letter and then use one sketch and locate all the letters on it.

[etfrench]

Here's the screencast:

 But do it as @TrippyLighting says

[jeff_strater]

See post #2.  Yes, this was an oversight in a recent Move/Copy overhaul - no copy button on the Move command in sketch mode.  You can do this, however using standard Copy/Paste.  Either via the context menu, or using CTRL-C/CTRL-V (CMD-C/CMD-V on Mac):

If you see cases where the Copy command does not appear in the right click menu, please record a screencast of this.  I've not been able to reproduce a case where this happens.