I’ve discovered that when copying an object (or group of objects), the sketch does not copy, i.e., both models are now based on the same sketch. Modifying the sketch, modifies all the of the model copies on which they are based. While this is useful behavior for something like screws (you want them all the same), the opposite case is just as useful. For example, I designed a table, but now I want to create a new version of that table that is different in several dimensions. This is not currently possible, parametrically. To fix this, sketches need to clone at the same time as models. This, combined with the proper implementation of components (objects that are all the same), would allow for both scenarios.
Disagree. If you create an object from a sketch, duplicate it, and then want to change something about the original and all copies, you only have to change one set of sketch elements. If you want it to be different, that should be done at sketch time, duplicating the sketch and then extruding from that.
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@TheBum, Thanks for your response. I’m not sure you understand what I’m proposing. We need a way to parametrically change a sketch, which will affect many objects, AND ALSO a way to create similar variations of a complex model, each parametrically changeable from sketches, without having to start from scratch each time. Currently, the latter is not possible. I suggest both cases are equally important and should be possible. Do you disagree with having both capabilities?
Imagine modeling a picnic table that is 6 ft. long. You create a sketch, extrude, refine, change materials, etc. Now that your done, you also want an 8 ft. table and a 10 ft. table in the same project.
With your suggestion, you would have to re-extrude all the elements in each table (essentially rebuilding the model) for each table. With my suggestion, you would only need to change the length parameter of each table’s corresponding sketch.
I suggest using something like components to accomplish both needs (as in Fusion 360 and Sketchup). If you combine components with cloneable Shapr3D sketch-and-model-combinations, you would get both capabilities. I’m sure there are other ways to accomplish both capabilities, but I think we need both.
If something like that was implemented, I’d want its as an option to the existing behavior, not a replacement. As it is, when I need something like what you want, I just duplicate the project.
I’ve noticed the same behavior and would really opt for the suggested functionality, since this is a major drawback for me.
This is also how I work in other cad software. Just copy paste a complete object and adapt anything where needed, to test variations, without altering the original object.
Copying to a new project as suggested, may intrinsically work, but would’t result in a sub-optimal workflow, since I couldn’t compare the variations to the design, as opposed to them being right next to each other in the same project.
Selecting a body and sketches doens’t provide the move option like before. Selecting it through the search function, the sketches get even deselected and leaves the option to move/copy only the object (so this behaviour is different than before).
The copied sketches should preferably also be assigned a new plane, to keep things nicely seperated. In stead of needing to seperate them by hand as I do now (select a sketch part, move it up and after a new sketch has been created, move it right down again).
Basically in my opinion it would be a matter of duplicating the complete history tree that leads up to the object (so all the ‘related to selection’ history entries).
So to have both options, as suggested in this thread, there would need to be a ‘tick’ box or similar functionality, to either just copy the body shape vs a full duplicate body.
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