Just open up two CC3 instances (one for each map), then use Edit -> Copy to copy the entity (remember this works like a normal CC3 command, so you then need to select the entities, then right-click and select Do It, and finally specify the origin point of the copy [if you don't need a specific origin point, just click somewhere near the center of your selection])
Then to paste and expand (with expand, I assume you mean scale/resize), just do a Edit -> Paste. But before you click to place it, notice that the command line tells you that you can use Control to scale the map portion you are pasting. Just hold down control, then move the mouse up to increase size, and down to reduce size. When you are happy with the size, click to place your map portion.
I am about to lose my MIND trying to do this. Why in the hell didn't they just design this thing so you could mouse around a section, grab it, copy it as a unit, and paste it, like any other program in the known universe?! Every time I get close to copying all the pieces I need, I grab the damn CONTINENT, and I don't WANT the continent! Just the mountain range, the river, the rocks, and the cities. I'm trying to do a closeup view so I can add in additional villages.
Edit -> Copy -> Select what -> DO IT-> Specify origin point
Then I go to the second window, hit paste, and get a pop-up window saying the clipboard is empty.
So, I'm trying a kludge where I import a .png of the appropriate section of my map... and THAT's failing, too. What am I doing wrong here? I'm trying to follow the help file, and it isn't. Helpful. At all.
For a program that I dropped a good chunk of change on, this thing is not easy to use. I realize once I figure it out, it'll be easy, like the rest of it has been, but dang, in the meantime, I've spent half an hour on this this morning when I should be getting ready for work... grr!!!
Sorry you're finding it a tough starting point. You're not alone in that, and all I can do on that score is to affirm that it does pay off. Normally the advice is to work through the tutorials, but it sounds like you're trying to and it's not working. I believe that they do work, so you might try again when you are in a happier place
Re: Action-Select Dialog: This was probably the #1 complaint for early CC versions, and probably is still a major component of the learning curve. When you get used to it, it is powerful, but I agree it's unnatural at first. There is an option to change it to Windows Item-Action mode (Tools>Options>"Enable left button preselection"). I'd say it's not well optimized, and over time you do come to appreciate CC3's approach.
Re: Selecting what you want: CC3 is very powerful in its ability to select what you want. Maps often (alway?) have lots of overlapping objects. Getting proficient in selecting what you want is a threshold event in your proficiency. Here are some ways to get what you want: (i) Use the layer dialog (click on the L:some style button in the upper right menu) to freeze layers that you're not working with -- the items are no longer selectable until you unfreeze (ii) Use the select dialog (right click with mouse to get it) and the "combine" option to unselect the items you don't want (e.g. "combine>not" lets you select the ones you don't want after you've gotten a bunch) (iii) select by color or fill, or lots of other things to get the ones you want.
Re: Copy not working. I'm not sure what the problem there is. I know there was a bug with copy a while ago, maybe you need the latest patch? If that's not it, hopefully someone else can help.
Re: Importing a bitmap. I'm not looking at the help file, but I just was successful: Draw>Insert File, then select the file from the file dialog (I switched to .png from the default), then picked the corners for the insert, worked fine. The bitmaps went into the current sheet and layer, so if that's not working for you, maybe someone else has an idea.
We've all been where you are. I know that doesn't make it any easier for you, but at least take comfort that there is a successful other side to the learning mountain you're climbing. And everyone here is anxious to help, just post as things don't make sense and we'll help as quickly as we can.
Something I think that doesnt get mentioned enough on the forum to new users is that CC3 and its add ons are based on a CAD program. I quote here from the CC2 manual which said it succinctly "As you might expect, because CC2 and paint programs think diffrently they work difrently, too. So clear your mind of any preconceptions you have." When you put new things into a CC3 map they are distinct objects with thier own set of values. Unlike a paint proram where you change the color of pixels. This adds great amounts of detail and at its heart very sophisticated tools for drawing complex systems. I post this to let you know your money got you more than whats on the surface. Scratch and you will find that there are things in CC that you never thought you could do
I'd like to just be able to drag a box around a section of my map (or my entire map) and paste it into word or another program like paint (I am using this to create a map for a book I am writing), and I'd like to be able to share my map with people who do not have cc3 and also upload sections of it to photobucket. I guess I can print the map and scan it, but I want to be able to zoom into one part of it (it's an entire continent, so it's huge and zooming out and printing it on one page does not work).
Is there a way to do this? I understad the program is set up to allow you to copy one layer at a time and move it somewhere else, but I really just want to do something very basic and copy what I acually see on my map. I went through the tutorial a while back but really don't remember any of it now--except I remember not really being able to get it to do this. I think I asked some questions about copying and pasting in the forums before but can't find my old thread now.
Sound like what you really want is the rectangular image export:
1. Zoom into your map on roughly the area you wish to export. 2. Do file --> Save as, and select "rectangular section PNG" as the file type 3. Click the options button, then set appropriate values for resolution. To paste it into a word document, you probably won't need anything beyond 1000x1000 pixels. click ok. 4. When you click save, CC3's command line asks you to pick the first corner. Move the mouse to one of the desired corners of your export, click to place the corner. For the second corner, pick the one diagonally opposite the first one, thus forming a rectangle. 5. Now, simply use the other program to insert the image (open in paint, insert image in word, etc)
Note that you can also copy via the clipboard, but because that selects entire CC3 entities, it is not very good when you need a rectangular section of a larger map. Exporting it to an image as described above is usually better for this.
Moderator comment: For the future, please start your own discussion rather than reviving an old topic semi-relevant to your question.
Comments
Then to paste and expand (with expand, I assume you mean scale/resize), just do a Edit -> Paste. But before you click to place it, notice that the command line tells you that you can use Control to scale the map portion you are pasting. Just hold down control, then move the mouse up to increase size, and down to reduce size. When you are happy with the size, click to place your map portion.
I am about to lose my MIND trying to do this. Why in the hell didn't they just design this thing so you could mouse around a section, grab it, copy it as a unit, and paste it, like any other program in the known universe?! Every time I get close to copying all the pieces I need, I grab the damn CONTINENT, and I don't WANT the continent! Just the mountain range, the river, the rocks, and the cities. I'm trying to do a closeup view so I can add in additional villages.
Edit -> Copy -> Select what -> DO IT-> Specify origin point
Then I go to the second window, hit paste, and get a pop-up window saying the clipboard is empty.
WTF. This is annoying. Help!!!
For a program that I dropped a good chunk of change on, this thing is not easy to use. I realize once I figure it out, it'll be easy, like the rest of it has been, but dang, in the meantime, I've spent half an hour on this this morning when I should be getting ready for work... grr!!!
Re: Action-Select Dialog: This was probably the #1 complaint for early CC versions, and probably is still a major component of the learning curve. When you get used to it, it is powerful, but I agree it's unnatural at first. There is an option to change it to Windows Item-Action mode (Tools>Options>"Enable left button preselection"). I'd say it's not well optimized, and over time you do come to appreciate CC3's approach.
Re: Selecting what you want: CC3 is very powerful in its ability to select what you want. Maps often (alway?) have lots of overlapping objects. Getting proficient in selecting what you want is a threshold event in your proficiency. Here are some ways to get what you want: (i) Use the layer dialog (click on the L:some style button in the upper right menu) to freeze layers that you're not working with -- the items are no longer selectable until you unfreeze (ii) Use the select dialog (right click with mouse to get it) and the "combine" option to unselect the items you don't want (e.g. "combine>not" lets you select the ones you don't want after you've gotten a bunch) (iii) select by color or fill, or lots of other things to get the ones you want.
Re: Copy not working. I'm not sure what the problem there is. I know there was a bug with copy a while ago, maybe you need the latest patch? If that's not it, hopefully someone else can help.
Re: Importing a bitmap. I'm not looking at the help file, but I just was successful: Draw>Insert File, then select the file from the file dialog (I switched to .png from the default), then picked the corners for the insert, worked fine. The bitmaps went into the current sheet and layer, so if that's not working for you, maybe someone else has an idea.
We've all been where you are. I know that doesn't make it any easier for you, but at least take comfort that there is a successful other side to the learning mountain you're climbing. And everyone here is anxious to help, just post as things don't make sense and we'll help as quickly as we can.
Steve
Is there a way to do this? I understad the program is set up to allow you to copy one layer at a time and move it somewhere else, but I really just want to do something very basic and copy what I acually see on my map. I went through the tutorial a while back but really don't remember any of it now--except I remember not really being able to get it to do this. I think I asked some questions about copying and pasting in the forums before but can't find my old thread now.
1. Zoom into your map on roughly the area you wish to export.
2. Do file --> Save as, and select "rectangular section PNG" as the file type
3. Click the options button, then set appropriate values for resolution. To paste it into a word document, you probably won't need anything beyond 1000x1000 pixels. click ok.
4. When you click save, CC3's command line asks you to pick the first corner. Move the mouse to one of the desired corners of your export, click to place the corner. For the second corner, pick the one diagonally opposite the first one, thus forming a rectangle.
5. Now, simply use the other program to insert the image (open in paint, insert image in word, etc)
Note that you can also copy via the clipboard, but because that selects entire CC3 entities, it is not very good when you need a rectangular section of a larger map. Exporting it to an image as described above is usually better for this.
Moderator comment:
For the future, please start your own discussion rather than reviving an old topic semi-relevant to your question.