!Restored: Drag and Drag-a-copy bug

[Anonymous]

Sometimes when the Drag shortcut is used elements Drag-a-copy instead. This bug has been around since Version 9 and was identified in 9. Is this ever going to be fixed as it can cause duplication of elements, sometimes without the knowledge of the operator until several steps have been made and it is to late to go back?

[Laszlo Nagy]

Karl wrote:
If you do NOT pre-select what you want to drag, but instead just hover your mouse over it until you see a snap cursor - mercedes, check, magnet, etc - THEN, mouse down (do not release) and drag all in one move - you will always drag. Press Ctrl key (Windows) or Opt key (Mac) then to get the + for a copy.

One additional thing: you need to have the Arrow Tool active for this to work like this. Other Tools start to create their respective element when you click.
The good thing is that by pressing the Esc key you can revert to the Arrow Tool from any other selected Tool.

[Laszlo Nagy]

Mark wrote:
The problem still happens to me. I maintain the argument if the computer slows, ie drag groups of complex objects then archicad cannot process the right command properly. I can prove this on our computers by trying to exaggerating the problem and dragging a very very complex group of objects, pressing the drag shortcut and then it will 50% of the time revert to drag-a-copy. Note it doesn't happen all the time, it seems to be random, but it will happen eventually.

That aside even working on a very simple drag like a single line it can still happen if i quickly pressing the needed shortcuts.

I now rely on constantly checking if a drag-a-copy was selected instead of drag. Its a constant annoyance.

BTW i don't like dragging by pointing instead of the shortcut as it can sometimes deselect instead, better to be sure everytime and use the shortcut which in the end should work anyway.

I experienced this same thing on myself.
I started to believe I always keep the CTRL key unconsciously pressed thereby activating the Drag-a-Copy method. But I don't know for sure.

[DaveOlufs]

My problem is that when I TRY to drag a copy AND hit the option key, half the time or more, I never get the copy and end up just dragging the original. It's been like that since I started in v12 and now I'm on v14.

I've thought that it could be my haste to be fast or sloppiness. Even when I go slow, invariably I miss the copy.

Finally, on a similar subject. Why all the clicks to move an object? 1- Select the object. 2- Command+D (actually 2 clicks) 3- Click the start of the move. 4- Click the end of the move. OR add a few more clicks for x and y. OR to copy add another click for OPTION... My left little finger is worn out.

Couldn't one just click to select and start moving the object? Then while moving, hit the OPTION key to copy... a standard on Macs and probably on PCs.

[Link]

DaveOlufs wrote:
Couldn't one just click to select and start moving the object? Then while moving, hit the OPTION key to copy... a standard on Macs and probably on PCs.

Yes, that is how you can do it with the drag option default of the pet palette. The first click is more of a click-and-drag. Then ctrl key for one copy or alt+ctrl for multiple copies. These are toggles of course so hitting them multiple times changes things.

Not sure why this wouldn't work for you - it's hard wired so it's not like we can turn it off. Video glitch perhaps that's not showing the + signs?

Cheers,
Link.

[Karl Ottenstein]

To clarify Link's response, Dave, if you select an object first, then you have to deal with the pet palette or cmd-D. Selecting the object first makes for a little more work.

If you mouse down on a hotspot of the (unselected) object that you want to drag, and keep the left mouse button down, you will be dragging / moving the object. At that point, tapping the Opt key (Alt on Windows) will show the "+" sign next to your cursor to indicate that you are dragging a copy.

HTH,
Karl

[Barry Kelly]

Karl wrote:
At that point, tapping the Opt key (Alt on Windows) will show the "+" sign next to your cursor to indicate that you are dragging a copy.

It's the CTRL key on windows for a copy.

Make sure that if you select the item first and then you start dragging it, you let go of the mouse button before you hit the Opt or CTRL key.
Otherwise as Dave has discovered you don't always get the copy.
If you press copy first then let go of the mouse button the copy turns off and you have to press it again.

This is not the case if you select and drag in one motion.
The copy will stay active if you select before or after letting go of the mouse button.

Barry.

[DaveOlufs]

This is not the case if you select and drag in one motion.
The copy will stay active if you select before or after letting go of the mouse button.

Not knowing AC well enough to understand why one can't select and drag in one motion is NOT a default action. I hate having to select an object THEN hit a button to move/drag it. Yes I now know there is a button in the pet palette that allows select/drag/move in 1-move but it requires another mouse click. Moving something has to be one of the most common actions short of view adjustments and anything to speed or ease the process is my wish.

Again, in OSX moving anything (files, documents, etc) and then hitting the option key during the move will make COPY. It's a default action which is probably included in the Windows OS as well.

'D' in other applications represents DUPLICATE with a basic mouse move being select/drag in one action... as a default, not an option in a pet palette.

[ovt]

Hi,

I'm having the same problem 16 years later with Archicad 25. Nice coding, I guess.