Use the Copy () node to make a displaced copy of one or several geometry objects. This method creates a node in the model tree that contains a reference to other objects in the geometry sequence that are copied and keeps the objects linked (unlike a simple copy and paste function). Enter the properties of the copy operation using the following sections:

Select the geometry objects that you want to copy in the Graphics window. The objects appear in the Input objects list. If the geometry sequence includes user-defined selections above the Copy node, choose Manual to select objects, or choose one of the selection nodes from the list next to Input objects.

Click the Active button to toggle between turning ON and OFF the Input objects selections.

Clear the Keep input objects check box to remove the input objects.

From the Specify list, choose Displacement vector (the default) or Positions.

If you choose Displacement vector, specify the displacement in each direction by entering x, y, and z (not all fields are available in 1D and 2D geometries); r and z in 2D axial symmetry; xw and yw in work planes. To create several copies, enter a comma-separated or space-separated list of displacements in these fields, or click the Range button () to use the Range dialog box for specifying a range of displacements for moving multiple copies.

If you choose Positions, choose Vertex (the default) or Coordinates from the Old position list to specify the old (original) position. If you choose Vertex, select a vertex from some geometry object in the Graphics window; otherwise, specify the old position using coordinates. Likewise, choose Vertices (the default) or Coordinates from the New position list to specify the new (destination) positions. Defining the copy operation using positions can be useful in the following situations:

The coordinate system in which the displacement coordinates above are interpreted (in 3D geometries only). From the Work plane list, select xy-plane (the default, for a standard global Cartesian coordinate system) or select any work plane defined above this node in the geometry sequence. If you choose a work plane, the work plane and its coordinate system appears in the Graphics window, using an extra coordinate triad with the directions xw, yw, and zw (which are then used to specify the copy operation’s displacement).

Select the Resulting objects selection check box to create predefined selections (for all levels — objects, domains, boundaries, edges, and points — that are applicable) in subsequent nodes in the geometry sequence. To also make all or one of the types of resulting entities (domains, boundaries, edges, and points) that the resulting objects consist of available as selections in all applicable selection lists (in physics and materials settings, for example), choose an option from the Show in physics (Show in instances if in a geometry part; Show in 3D in a plane geometry under a work plane in a 3D component) list: All levels, Domain selection, Boundary selection, Edge selection, or Point selection. The default is Domain selection, which is suitable for use with materials and physics defined in domains. For use with a boundary condition, for example, choose Boundary selection. These selections do not appear as separate selection nodes in the model tree. Select Off to not make any selection available outside of the geometry sequence. From the Color list, choose a color for highlighting the resulting objects selection. See Selection Colors.

If you want to make the resulting entities contribute to a cumulative selection, select a cumulative selection from the Contribute to list (the default, None, gives no contribution), or click the New button to create a new cumulative selection (see Cumulative Selections).

If you have Named Selections that include entities on the input objects, select the Propagate selections to resulting objects (selected by default) check box to update the selections to corresponding entities on the output objects, when possible. Clear the check box to not propagate the selection to the resulting objects. This can be useful in combination with selecting the Keep input objects check box so that the selections refer only to the input objects.

From the Construction geometry list choose On to make the resulting objects available only in the feature’s geometry sequence. The default option Inherit means that the resulting objects become construction geometry if all input objects are construction geometry. Choose Off to never output construction geometry objects. For more information, see Construction Geometry.

To create copies of geometry objects, in the Geometry toolbar Transforms () menu, select Copy (). You can also right-click the Geometry node to add this node from the Transforms submenu.