How to select, copy and paste objects?

Robert Feyerharm

I just asked this question last month but need a reminder how this works.

To select an object and then copy (or cut) and paste to another location in my map, the steps are:

1. Ctrl-c (or Ctrl-x).
2. Select object with my cursor, so that it's outlined in pink. I then read "Select entities (1 picked):" in the text window below my map.
3. Left click on location in map where I want to pace the object.
4. Ctrl-v.

But then nothing happens. Where is the copied/cut object? Sometimes I'll zoom out and the copied object has reappeared at the far perimeter of my map.

Monsen

3. shouldn't be where you want to place the entity, the point cc3+ asks for is the ORIGIN of the copy, not the destination. Unless you are doing some precision manipulation, the normal place to click is in the center of the thing to copy. When you past something, it will be placed just as far from the cursor when you click to place, as the point you selected in this step was from the original entity.

Robert Feyerharm

@Monsen

Thanks Monsen -

Ok I just copied and pasted successfully using a combination of left-clicking, Ctrl-v, right-clicking & selecting "Do It".

The steps should be:

1. Ctrl-c (or Ctrl-x).
2. Select object with my cursor, so that it's outlined in pink. I then read "Select entities (1 picked):" in the text window below my map.
3. Left click on center of selected object.
4. Right-click on center of selected object.
5. Select "Do It" from popup menu.
6. Left click on center of selected object again.
7. Move cursor crosshairs to desired paste location.
8. Ctrl-v. The box outline of the selected object appears.
9. Left-click to paste.

Sometimes the Insert Part menu pops up in Steps 6-9, if so click Ok. I've found it also helps to say "Do it!" aloud in Step 5. :-)

Monsen

From that expanded list, you don't need your step 3, the location is set in your step 6. And step 4 can be anywhere inside the drawing window, it doesn't matter where your mouse is when you bring up the popup menu, doesn't have to be on the entity to be copied.

Note that when copying inside the same map, It is usually easier to use Copy instead of clipboard copy.

Robert Feyerharm

@Monsen Yes, same results.

Although sometimes if I skip Step 3 I don't see the box outline that shows the location and orientation & scale of the object I'm pasting.

If I save and close out CC3+ (clearing art saved to the clipboard), then skipping Step 3 doesn't make a difference as you pointed out.