How to copy and paste a sketch

[Anonymous]

Hey there, I am very new to Fusion 360 and still trying to find my way around. This one has really got me scratching my head. How do you copy a basic 2D sketch? I am selecting the shape, let's say a center point circle, using CTRL + C and then CTRL + V. Nothing happens. If I right click on the circle it gives me the option to redo paste, but it does not create a 2nd shape. 

How can I achieve this? In the more basic offering of 123D, when I hit copy and paste, even with a 2D sketch, it pops up the new shape and provides the move tool. 

[tfultonDUWN3]

Seems untrue in fusion 360 in modeling mode. Move/copy command on sketch leaves no option to copy selected. Can provide images if necessary.

[davebYYPCU]

That is correct, 

May I suggest you review answers earlier in this topic, for the right way to get it done.

[daniel_lyall]

Yes the move copy command does not have that as you don't do it that way you ctrl c ctrl v then move it

[Anonymous]

I have also been trying to figure out how to copy and paste simple geometry inside of a single open sketch. 

Finally got something working by selecting each line separately while holding down shift, which is super time consuming.  Every time I tried to just drag and select everything it wouldn't work. 

Then I realised that if the Show Points and Show Constraints are turned OFF in the Sketch Palette then it works! 

Yay!! 🙂

[sevesp2]

I totally agree with those that think that the Copy command is maddening. I use regularly other CAD software and copy and paste is really simple. With Fusion 360 I try all sort of things and still don´t get it .... Does it need to be so complicated to move and copy objects in a CAD or Modelling software? .... I don´t think so. I don´t even see the logic of doing the way it is done ... . 

The way of copying in Fusion 360 is TOTALY counter intuitive. 

I only hope that it is improve and made 

[sevesp2]

Perhaps the logic dictates that, as far as nothing else said, you still working on the same plane by defect. 

[Iskenderus]

I agree, some features are not so intuitive. It would be better if there would be a "duplicate sketch/body/etc" command.

Fusion 360's conditions are great, looks simple, but simple intuitive things don't exist 😞

[Phil.E]

Hi @sevesp2 and @Iskenderus

I would love to improve how copy and paste works. Can you help me understand what you are expecting? It's not clear to me at this point.

For instance, here is a video showing copy and paste of a sketch object and a body. You'll see selecting the sketch object, creating a new sketch, and pasting the object into that sketch. The analogy is like copying a paragraph in Word, opening another document, and then pasting the paragraph. 

When the body is copied I show the right click menu options, but copy/paste can also be done with ctrl-c and ctrl-v . The key is selection. Using the browser for selection is the best way to ensure you pick the right things to work with.

In all this I'm wondering if the default selection mode for Fusion is an issue here. By default, Fusion selects everything. So if you are used to using crossing-window/box selection (dragging a rectangle on the screen around objects) it may not be obvious that you may be selecting all the faces, edges, vertices, etc. Only the body can be copied and pasted, so you need to select only the body.

This is all on by default

What helps is using the browser, or if selecting in canvas, the priority filters found in Select.

Add these to your toolbar

Please let me know what you think. As I said, I'd like to find a way to make this as intuitive as any other experience you've had. If you can provide specific examples of how it works in other parametric CAD programs that will help.

Best regards,

[moth3r]

I believe he was expecting it would be available if you 'Right click' the sketch name > duplicate option [context menu]. If the workplane plane is not defined you pick one or you use default one when tool options popup.

[Iskenderus]

Thanks for explanation. It worked now.

Today I learned that Fusion 360 is on its early stages, version 1.42... It's quite big things had been done then.

What I was expecting:

1- Simple copy/paste: where I can just select the spline/line of my sketch and paste on same plane without making "a new document" like process, exactly as if bodies copy/pasted. This your explanation made all clear, but otherwise simple users as me won't understand (even if I'm an experienced UI/UX Designer and used some 3D softwares before like Cinema 4D, Maya, Modo, etc.). I also wanted to just duplicate the sketches with right click on the layers on sidebar, if it has some link to create body, just with breaking the link. It'd make it with just one click.

2- Imagine that I drew a complex sketch let's say a custom spiral then created a body with sweep/loft command. Then I want to make "a new version" of this body by making a copy of that body for my exploration. But here if I change the shape of the sketch, all bodies created with it changes also including copies. It would be great if I could copy/paste that body with sketch at least in a new component for not to effect this new copy. 

It doesn't work for me so I desperately try to create a new document and want to copy/paste there, but it's also so complicated that I don't know how to do it 🙂

Concisely simple copy/paste commands would improve the user interface of my favorite software Fusion 360!

As I told in other discussions, this software looks very simple to use, but during the process it's so complicated even in simple commands. I hope our comments like this would be sent to your developer team! Thanks a lot!

[Phil.E]

@Iskenderus

Thanks for the detailed feedback.

Regarding your request #2: This is totally possible in Fusion today.

Quote: "It would be great if I could copy/paste that body with sketch at least in a new component for not to effect this new copy. "

Using the technique that @TrippyLighting often advises, called Rule #1, what you want is actually built into the design and ready to do at any moment.

Steps:

1. Create a new component. Make it active.

(When active, all input for the component is stored in the component.)

2. Create a sketch, make a sweep.

(Because the component is active, the sketch, sweep, and body are all in this component.)

3. Make the top level of the assembly active.

4. RMB the browser node for the component > Copy.

(Components are containers for sketches, bodies, etc. they can be copied and pasted in any design)

5. RMB the top browser node of this design, or any other design, pick Paste New.

Result: you now have two copies that are independent and you can do exploration on your copy without affecting the original, and also do exploration of the original without affecting the copy.

Please let me know if you have questions.

Regards,

[CIC-FVL]

I think Fusion lacks of common sense to put some basic commands, it´s really struggling to copy and paste a sketch to a new one, why don´t you add DUPLICATE command on right click over bodies, skecthes, components, etc in browser tree? you guys would save us a ton of time.

[Phil.E]

@CIC-FVL

Hi, thanks for responding. I'd really like to know more about your workflows, to figure out why the current workflow to copy things you mention is too much work. This involves asking you a few questions to sort out what you are doing and expecting to happen. This will help me guide development of better workflows for copy of items in Fusion.

First question:

Why do you want to copy all of those types of items?

Thanks,

[sevesp2]

Hi.

I am not using Fusion360 at the moment. Too complicated.

I prefer to use layers´ based software, rather than the complicated way that Fusion uses.

Many thanks.

Santiago

[Anonymous]

Copy and paste a sketch seriously suuuucks ... the programming logic is totally borked.

I am in sketch mode.

I am editing the sketch.

I am in the plane.

I can select the sketch to copy.

Copy tickbox in Move/Copy is greyed out.

Result: cannot copy the sketch.

Spending hours on this. 

[sevesp2]

Hi, Phil.

i am not using (or trying to use/learn) Fusion 360 any longer but I still receiving the replies on this forum. 

To me, your question looks a bit like (after my whole life using a fork to eat cake) ‘I want to use a fork to eat a cake. You would question: why you want to use a fork?? Use a spoon instead!!!

The Copy and paste way of use has been too long in mankind mentality and well assimilated the way it is and now you guys try to implement a new system, which is completely different to every other software. Is not going to work for many people. 

IMO, you guys rather adapt to the existing well established conventions or will face the backlash by many people who are very confortable using certain basic tools in a stablished ways (and working well that way!) rather than trying to reinvent the wheel. 

Just a thought. 

Regards, 

Santiago

[Phil.E]

@Anonymous I'm sorry you spent hours on this. It's explained above, but just in case you didn't see it: When using Move/copy, click the copy check box before moving the object you are copying.

Likewise, you can use regular Copy + Paste (ctrl + c to copy, and ctrl + v to paste) from your keyboard and get the result you seem to need.

Please let me know if you have more questions.

Thanks,

[Anonymous]

...thanks for the reply ... however I am still having the problem

I can select the sketch

I tick the copy box

I can move the sketch item

BUT ... the copy box greys out and no copy is made ???

ctl-c and ctl-v have no effect either.

[Anonymous]

..update... 

I was able to get it working ( but its still kind of weird ).

1. Right click the sketch item from the browser tree and select Edit Sketch from drop down. ( you cant already be in sketch mode though or you  wont see the edit option )

2. Select the sketch and do Ctl-C Ctl-V and move it.

The weird bit is where even where even if I just reposition a pop up window to get a better screen shot ... that action alone causes the copy to fail.

Secondly how come I have to select edit to make a copy but moving the sketch around is not classed as an edit ( the logic of this could be argued either way I suppose )

Anyway thanks ... I can move ahead. 🙂

[Phil.E]

@Anonymous

I'm sorry, but in your "borked" image, you are currently in Sketch mode. I thought you were asking about copying sketch objects within a single sketch, or between sketches so I offered the workflow that works best for that.

Are you asking how to copy an entire sketch to a new plane?