Copy and Paste in 3D

Karl Ottenstein · ‎2005-08-25

We need the ability to copy elements from the 3D window of one running AC session and paste them into the 3D window of another running session.

Since I'm talking about two sessions (two files), I'm putting this wish in the Cooperation Wishes forum, rather than User Interface. 😉

I managed to delete some elements in my model (first time, knock on wood) and could see them clearly in 3D in an old file. Without wanting to figure out which stories these elements were on, I wanted to just select them in the 3D window, copy, and paste them into the 3D window of the screwed-up model. No go.

It is surprising that we do not have this ability to copy from 3D via clipboard since we can do it from plan. [We do have the ability within the 3D window to drag copies of existing elements by tapping Ctrl/Command during the drag.]

So, how about it: copy/paste from/to 3D window anyone? 😉

The corollary wish is for save-selection-as-module (and merge) to work in 3D.

Karl

Anonymous · ‎2005-08-25

Karl wrote:

The corollary wish is for save-selection-as-module (and merge) to work in 3D.

Karl

Or to just have the selected 3D items show up selected in the plan window.

Karl Ottenstein · ‎2005-08-26

Millard wrote:
Or to just have the selected 3D items show up selected in the plan window.

Hi Millard,

That's a separate wishlist item, and really is quite unrelated to this wish.

In this wish, the elements can be on multiple stories (sort of the point of working in 3D, actually). Even if elements were selected in plan, we would not know which plans (plural) were involved ... and AC can only select elements on one plan view at a time anyway. Extending that is yet another wish, independent of this one.

Thanks,
Karl

So, to all - keeping the focus: copy/paste in 3D window is THIS wish. Vote or post on other wishes in their own threads. 😉

Anonymous · ‎2005-08-26

I guess I'm unclear how a paste would handle items on different stories coming into a project that would most likely have different floor elevations from the original. A better solution with more user control would be to be able to select all off the items that you wish to copy in the 3D window and have them show selected in the plan view; different selections showing as you change stories. The user would then have control over the receiving story when pasting.

Karl Ottenstein · ‎2005-08-26

Millard wrote:
I guess I'm unclear how a paste would handle items on different stories coming into a project that would most likely have different floor elevations from the original.

My original example (where I felt the wish) was having two versions open(design options perhaps - but one screwed up and one correct in my case) and copying between them. Story structure is the same. Simple.

In the most general case, z-heights kept exactly the same, stories matched 1-for-1, and new stories created if necessary.

No, I don't want elements selected on plans. Please don't hijaak this poll...make that another wish. 😉 Multi-story plan selection would require potentially significant changes in ArchiCAD. Enabling copy/paste requires no new user interface and the code is really already there since we know that drag-a-copy (with elements from multiple stories) already works in 3D. So, I'm trying to make a simple, easily grantable wish here. 😉

Cheers,
Karl

James Murray · ‎2005-08-26

Karl wrote:
Multi-story plan selection would require potentially significant changes in ArchiCAD. Enabling copy/paste requires no new user interface and the code is really already there since we know that drag-a-copy (with elements from multiple stories) already works in 3D. So, I'm trying to make a simple, easily grantable wish here.

We already have multi-story selection, for clipboard-purposes, in the form of the heavy marquee. And you can already multi-story paste/merge in the plan, and it creates stories on the fly. It would seem straightforward for it to also work in 3D.

My original example (where I felt the wish) was having two versions open(design options perhaps - but one screwed up and one correct in my case) and copying between them. Story structure is the same. Simple.

This would cover a large proportion of the real cases; there is a hanging design issue in the relationship between stories and the more fluid z-space of the 3D window...

No, I don't want elements selected on plans....make that another wish. 😉

...and the interactions among selection, visibility, plan, 3D, stories, z-elevations, etc is a whole nother thing. In the meantime, if it works in one window it should work everywhere. This is a fundamental, though it's not AC's strong suit.

piton · ‎2011-03-31

So, how about it: copy/paste from/to 3D window anyone? 😉
Karl

I was also surprised about this today, I figured that it would be the easiest way to copy multiple elements on multiple stories (some of them show on multiple stories, so selection on the 2D view would duplicate some). Pressed CTRL-C, ALT-TAB, CTRL-V and then realized a feature is missing.
So logged in to the forum to create a topic, and its already here.
Still not fixed in 6 years?

Link · ‎2011-04-01

James wrote:

...and the interactions among selection, visibility, plan, 3D, stories, z-elevations, etc is a whole nother thing. In the meantime, if it works in one window it should work everywhere. This is a fundamental, though it's not AC's strong suit.

These must be related though no? It's like we can't use (for example) ground floor wall favorites and first floor wall favorites, and just model everything in the 3D window. How nice would that be? I remember wishing for it in the early 2000's.

One can only assume there is a major technical limitation preventing these from happening.

Nevertheless, got an Essential vote from me Karl. And if Millard would post a poll for showing elements selected in the 3D window in the floor plan (or any other window) I'd vote Essential for that too!

Cheers,
Link.

Anonymous · ‎2011-08-12

Six years and multile versions later and we still cannot copy from a 3D window!

And this is a 3D program?

Martin Jules · ‎2013-07-18

Whenever I work on ArchiCAD, I still have the reflex to copy from a 3D window to another one. I would be happy to see this feature integrated into ArchiCAD 18.

Anonymous · ‎2014-02-12

Voted essential. Such a simple, yet fundamental thing, as intuitive as breathing for every other piece of software I can think of. Even if it has to be restricted to copy/paste between the SAME software and the SAME project structure/story levels, etc. that would cover a large percentage of cases.
This was originally requested in 2005, so this year we're coming up for the ninth anniversary...