19.15.1 Copying Sketcher objects

Use the copy tool from the Sketcher toolbox to copy Sketcher objects—lines, arcs, circles, ellipses, fillets, splines, or points—and position the copied objects. You can have the Sketcher running in only one viewport at a time; consequently, you cannot copy objects between sketches.

To copy sketched objects:

  1. From the Sketcher toolbox, select the copy tool . For a diagram of the tools in the Sketcher toolbox, see The Sketcher tools, Section 19.4.1.

    ABAQUS/CAE displays prompts in the prompt area to guide you through the procedure.

  2. Select all the objects that you want to copy. Both sketch and construction geometry can be copied; reference geometry and dimensions cannot be copied.

    Tip:  To select more than one object, hold down the [Shift] key as you click each object or drag a rectangle around the objects. To unselect an object, use [Ctrl]+Click. For more information, see Chapter 6, Selecting objects within the viewport.”

  3. Click mouse button 2 to indicate that you have finished selecting objects.

  4. Use the buttons that appear in the prompt area to indicate how you will specify a new location for the copied objects.

    • Select Translate to translate the copied objects along a specified vector. You can define the beginning and the end of the translation vector by selecting from the sketch or by typing the X- and Y-coordinates of each end.

    • Select Rotate to rotate the copied objects through a specified angle about a specified point. You can specify the point at the center of rotation by selecting from the sketch or by typing the X- and Y-coordinates. The angle of rotation that you specify must be between 360° and –360°.

    • Select Mirror to mirror the copied objects about a selected mirror line. The mirror line must already exist in the sketch.

    • Select Scale to scale the copied objects by a specified scale factor about a specified center point. You can specify the center point by selecting from the sketch or by typing the X- and Y-coordinates. The scale factor that you specify must be between 1×10–6 and 1×1014.

  5. To copy more objects, repeat the above steps beginning with Step 2.

  6. When you have finished copying objects, either

    • Click mouse button 2 anywhere in the ABAQUS/CAE window, or

    • Select any other tool in the Sketcher toolbox, or

    • Click the cancel button in the prompt area, or

    • Click the copy tool in the Sketcher toolbox.


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