Stand-alone sketches are stored in your model and are independent of any particular part or the assembly. To create a new stand-alone sketch in the current viewport, select Sketch
Create from the main menu bar.
To create a stand-alone sketch:
From the main menu bar, select SketchCreate.
The Create Sketch dialog box appears.
Tip:
You can also create a stand-alone sketch by clicking the sketch create tool 
in the Sketch module toolbox.
In the Create Sketch dialog box, enter a name for the sketch. For information on valid names, see “Using basic dialog box components,” Section 3.2.1.
In the Create Sketch dialog box, enter the approximate size of the sketch.
The size that you enter is used by Abaqus/CAE to calculate the size of the sheet and the spacing of its grid. The approximate size should reflect the largest dimension of the sketch and must be between 105 and 10–3 units. Abaqus/CAE does not require specific units, but the units must be consistent throughout the model.
Click Continue to close the Create Sketch dialog box.
Abaqus/CAE starts the Sketcher and displays a square sheet on which you sketch; the width and height of the sheet are approximately equal to the value that you entered in the previous step. If you later find that your sketch extends beyond the edge of the sheet, you can change the sheet size using the Sketcher customization options.
When you have finished sketching, click Done in the prompt area.
