Copy Offsets
Table of contents:
Introduction
Copy Offsets
Advanced Settings
Let's talk about the Copy Offset tool. In other applications, similar functionality is commonly referred to as Array, Duplicate with Offset, or Pattern. While the naming may vary, the function is the same: it creates one or multiple copies of a selected object and positions them at a specified distance, direction, or interval based on defined offset values.
In SelfCAD, the Copy Offset tool can be found in the Tools section of the main Toolbar. It allows you to duplicate selected objects while automatically applying positional offsets along chosen axes, and it also enables you to apply additional modifications to the generated copies if specified. In practice, this allows users to create evenly spaced elements, progressive patterns, mechanical components, architectural features, and complex repeating structures where each copy can vary in size, rotation, or other properties.
Unlike Modify or Deform tools, the Tools category contains helper features designed to improve workflow efficiency rather than directly reshaping the object. Copy Offset simplifies repetitive modeling tasks while giving you control over variation between duplicates. In this article, we'll explore how to use the Copy Offset tool effectively and enhance your modeling workflow.
Select the object
The first step of using any modeling tool is selecting the object on which you want to use it. You can select objects by either left-clicking on them in the workspace or by selecting them in the Object Management section, in the right-side panel. The second option has an in-built search engine, which is extremely useful when you are working with multiple objects.
Activate the tool
Once the object is selected, you can activate the Copy Offset tool by selecting it from the Tools drop-down list or use a shortcut by pressing the 'T+O’ combination on your keyboard. This way, you’ll open a Tool Setting Panel with all of the customizable options for this tool on the left side of your screen.
Copy Offset: Add Option
The first of the settings is called Add Options, which allows you to add additional effects to the Offset. In the drop-down, you'll find the list of the effects that you can add to the Offset, and beside it, you'll find the text-boxes where you can customize the added option. You can, of course, add more than one option to the Offset to make it more intricate by clicking on the + button and repeating the process.
Number of copies
Number of copies is a simple feature that allows you to set just how many copies of the object the software is going to create. Each repetition will use the same settings, and they will be added, on top, of each other.
Advanced Settings: Load Macro
At the bottom, you will find the Advanced Settings of the Copy Offset tool, and inside, you will find a single option related to Saving and Loading the Macros. Here you can save the settings customized above in the form of a template that you will be able to load and use for future Offsets. You can choose the stored Macros from the drop-down list at the bottom of the panel.
And that’s about it for the Copy Offset. After reading this article, you should know the basics of this tool and how to use it, and know about its different applications. Of course, the graphics shown here were just examples, and using this tool on other shapes will give you slightly different effects, but its underlying principles will always stay the same.
That's all I have for you today. I wish you success in your future projects. See you, and stay tuned for more content to come!