Converting External Geometries and Sketches

You can convert or project sketch or model edges into the active sketch.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: If not created, create a reference sketch or reference model.

Convert External Geometry into Sketch Entities

You can create sketch entities in the active sketch from external geometry such as model edges or entities in another sketch.

In an active sketch, select model faces, model edges, or entities from another sketch.
For example, in this sketch, you select the face of the block.
From the Sketch section of the action bar, click Convert Entities .
Alternatively, right-click the selection and from the context toolbar, click Convert Entities.
A context toolbar appears that provides the following options:
- Convert Sketch: Projects an inactive sketch into the active sketch.
- Select Chain: Projects a chain of the selected item in an inactive sketch on to the active sketch.
The selection is converted into entities in the active sketch. On Edge constraints are applied to each entity.
In this example, the model edges are converted to sketch entities. If you make changes to the block, the sketch entities update accordingly.

The icon indicates the On Edge constraint. Select a sketch entity to see the icon.

You can convert an entire inactive sketch into an active sketch.

In the work area, create a reference sketch.
Create a reference plane or reference face at some offset.
From the Sketch section of the action bar, click Create or Edit Sketch .
Click the reference sketch from the design manager tree.
To convert the entire sketch into an active sketch, do any of the following:
- You can click any inactive sketch from the design manager tree or from the work area. From the context toolbar, click to convert the entire sketch to an active sketch.
- From the Sketch section of the action bar, click Convert Entity and from the design manager tree select any inactive sketch.
- From the Sketch section of the action bar, click Convert Entity. From the work area, click inactive sketch, then from the suggested menu select .
  Note: This suggestion appears only for the first selection.
Click .
The entire sketch is converted into the active sketch at the reference plane.
Note: When the entire sketch is converted, the curves in the construction mode are not projected.

You can convert an entire chain of inactive sketch elements into active sketch entities.

Before you begin: Create a reference sketch containing sketch elements in sequence.

Create a new sketch and in the work area and right-click the chain of a reference sketch element from an inactive sketch.
From the context toolbar, click Select Chain .
The entire chain of selected sketch element is converted into active sketch entity.