Copying and Pasting Elements

You can copy and paste elements on their absolute axis maintaining the associativity between the reference geometry.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: Create a rectangle.
See Also
About Exploding Sketches
About Copying/Pasting Elements

Copy and Paste Elements with H and V Constraints on Their Absolute Axis

You can copy/paste elements along with the horizontal and vertical constraints on their absolute axis.

  1. To duplicate the rectangle and its H and V directions: multi-select the rectangle and its origin, and copy the selected elements.


  2. To duplicate the rectangle, its H and V directions, and the distance constraints which exist between the rectangle and its origin: multi-select the rectangle and the distance constraints (do not select the origin), and copy the selected elements.


    Tip: In other words, if you want to copy an element along with its H and V direction while keeping the constraints which exist between the copied element and its origin, you do not need to, and you should not, select the origin. Selecting the constraints is enough. If you select the origin, the constraints will not be kept.
  3. Paste these elements.
    The elements are pasted over the elements you copied. You can move the pasted elements (if you want to view them, for example).

Copy/paste Projected or Intersected Elements

If you copy/paste projected or intersected elements, then the external references are deleted.

  1. Copy the projected or the intersected element, using the method described above.
  2. Paste this element.
    • External references are deleted.
    • Constraints on external geometry are deleted.
    • Projections/Intersections are deactivated when they have external references.
    • You cannot project or intersect the pasted element.
    • The pasted element is not associative.

Copy/Paste Sketches

To copy/ paste sketch maintaining the associativity between the reference geometry, use the As Result With Link option in the Paste Special dialog box.

  1. Create a sketch then enter Part Design app.
  2. Right-click the sketch and select Copy.
  3. Right-click the sketch and select Paste Special .
  4. Select As Result With Link in the dialog box which appears.
  5. Click OK to validate your choice.

    The sketch is pasted. A blue envelope is added to the image of the sketch in the tree, meaning that associativity is maintained between the reference geometry and the copy.

    Note: The blue envelope added to the image of the copied sketch only means that the sketch is a copy As Result With Link. The information about the state of the links is carried by the Copy.xxx symbol.

  6. Use this copied sketch to create a pad.
  7. Just edit the reference sketch the way you want: for example, change the shape. The pad reflects the change.
    Important: The existing visible or invisible use-edges are deactivated in a new part after copying/pasting a geometry to avoid update errors .