Shannon McGarry
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Want an easy way to save time (and mouse clicks) while working on your 3D model? Learn how to quickly copy and paste a sketch in Autodesk Fusion.
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Introduction to sketch copying
Copying sketches in Fusion is a fundamental skill that can dramatically speed up your design process and help you make the most of your CAD software. Whether you need to duplicate an entire sketch, reuse specific sketch elements, or transfer geometry to a new sketch plane, Fusion offers a variety of methods to streamline your workflow. Understanding how to copy and paste sketch geometry—either within the same sketch or into a new sketch—gives you the flexibility to iterate quickly and maintain consistency across your designs.
Before you start copying, it’s important to know about the concept of the active sketch. In Fusion, only the active sketch—meaning the one you’re currently editing—can be modified or have new geometry pasted into it. You can make a sketch active by double-clicking it in the timeline or right-clicking it in the browser and selecting “Edit Sketch.” Once your sketch is active, you can select sketch elements using the shift key, window selection, or by clicking individual entities.
To copy sketch geometry, simply select the desired elements, right-click to open the context menu, and choose the copy option, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C. You can then paste the copied sketch geometry into the same sketch or a new sketch by right-clicking and selecting paste, or pressing Ctrl+V. If you want to paste onto a new sketch plane, create a new sketch on your chosen plane or construction plane before pasting.
Fusion also provides advanced features to enhance your copying workflow. The move command with the “Create Copy” option allows you to duplicate selected geometry and reposition it in your sketch. You can also use tools like circular pattern to quickly replicate sketch elements around a point, or copy bodies and components for more complex assemblies. By mastering these methods, you’ll be able to efficiently copy and paste sketches, and make edits that make sense for your design intent.
How to copy a sketch in Fusion
To copy a sketch or any sketch elements onto the clipboard is very easy, and there are multiple ways to do it. First, you can select the sketch entities in the graphics window using either a window select or holding CTRL while selecting the sketch entities you want to copy. Alternatively, you can select the sketches in the browser tree or the timeline.
Notice that when selecting your sketches, you don’’t have to limit it to sketch entities in only one sketch. You can copy from multiple sketches — you don’’t even need to be in a sketch to use the copy command. You can also copy components by right-clicking a component and selecting copy components, or use keyboard shortcuts to duplicate a component or create a new instance, which can be managed across different files. When copying from multiple sketches, you can also copy objects and objects within sketches, allowing you to duplicate any selected object as needed.
After you select the sketches or sketch entities you want, either right-click and select Copy or hold down CTRL + C on your keyboard. Note that it is important to be in the correct location, such as an active sketch or the correct plane, when pasting geometry to ensure proper placement. When pasting, the paste option will appear, allowing you to position the copied geometry within the active sketch environment. Also, be aware that design history can affect your ability to copy and paste sketches or features; if design history is enabled, certain copy-paste actions may be restricted depending on the feature type. When creating a new sketch, remember that a new sketch must be created before pasting geometry, as sketches need to be created on a planar face or origin plane.
For advanced features, consider using parametric modeling for more control over copied geometry and to maintain design history. When using the move command, you can check the create copy box to make exact copies and ensure exact placement of geometry. If you need to copy bodies or components between different files, use the appropriate file management tools in Fusion to handle files and components efficiently. You can also copy between other sketches and use different methods for copying, depending on your workflow. When editing, always make sure you are working with the correct selected sketch to avoid confusion. If you want to make edits that make sense, sometimes using a different method or workflow is a better idea—choosing the right idea for the task makes sense. Note: Always double-check your selections and workflow to avoid errors.
How to paste a sketch in Autodesk Fusion
To paste your sketches into a new sketch, you must first either enter an existing sketch or start a new sketch. If you try and paste without being in a sketch, nothing will happen. Once you are in a sketch either right-click and select Paste or hold down CTRL + V on your keyboard.
Copy and paste a sketch in Fusion
Now you know how to copy and paste a sketch in Fusion. To learn more about the sketch environment in Fusion, check out this Sketch Basics video series from our self-paced learning portal. Ready to test out your sketch skills? Download Fusion today.