About Copy/Paste

This topic provides general information regarding how copy/paste works in Composer.

• Copy/cut/paste for collaborative actors uses the Windows clipboard, so you can copy/cut/paste collaborative actors across Composer documents, and even across Composer applications. For geometry actors, these commands are the same as the right-click commands in the Assembly pane, which do not use the Windows clipboard. See Right-Click Commands.
• You cannot copy/cut/paste the following collaborative actors: cutting planes, grids, cameras, coordinate systems, paths, intersection lines, BOM tables, ground, and compass.
• You can also access these commands from the viewport mini-toolbar, and for collaborative actors only using shortcut keys (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+X, Ctrl+V) in the Collaboration pane and viewport. For more on the mini-toolbar, see Application Preferences - General
• You cannot paste Composer actors into other applications.

Tip: If pasted actors are not visible in the current viewport, use Zoom Selection or Zoom Fit All .

Paste results depend on the content. This topic provides information on what results you should expect when pasting content from the clipboard.

Clipboard Content	Paste Result
Geometry actor	New geometry instance named copy of original_name as a child of the currently selected geometry actor. Note: You can copy/paste geometry actors only within the same Composer document.
Collaborative actor	New actor of same type named Copy n of original_name. Note: You can copy/paste collaborative actors across Composer documents, and even across Composer applications.
Image of supported format (BMP, JPG, etc.)	New image 2D panel named Pasted Image n.
Text	New label named Pasted Label n.

The location of pasted actors in the viewport depends on the content type and whether the actor is associated with (attached to) geometry. This topic provides information on paste location depending on clipboard content.

Clipboard Content	Paste Location
2D collaborative actor	Preserves location with slight offset from the original actor: Before After
Geometry actor	Preserves location. When the original actor is present at that location, the copy completely overlaps the original.
3D collaborative actor with no association	Preserves location. When the original actor is present at that location, the copy completely overlaps the original.
3D collaborative actor with association: Associated actor found (GUID match)	Preserves location in the associated actor's local coordinate system.
3D collaborative actor with association: Associated actor not found	Arranges pasted actors in a circle around the viewport center to facilitate reattachment.
Text and images from other applications	Creates actors in the viewport at the current mouse position.