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Copying, Cutting, and Pasting Animations

Copying, cutting, and pasting can save you time, but can be destructive. For example, pasting over shapes destroys all points and keyframes of the target shape in order to replace it.

To Copy Animations

If you want to copy a shape, including all animation attributes, animated points, and associated keyframes, copying animations is the best way to do this. To copy animations for a stroke/shape:

1.

With the Select All tool active, select the stroke/shape in the Viewer.

This copies the current selected animation and key frame information to the clipboard.

To copy only curve attribute information for animated shapes:

1.

With the Select All tool active, select the stroke/shape in the Viewer.

This copies only the selected attributes for the animated shape to the clipboard.

To copy only the point information for animated shapes:

1.

With the Select All tool active, select the stroke/shape in the Viewer. Make sure hide points is disabled in the tool settings.

This copies only the selected animated points and keyframes to the clipboard.

To Cut Animations

If you want to move a stroke/shape and replace another with all the same animated points and keyframes, cutting the shape is a better option than simply copying it. To cut animations for a stroke/shape:

1.

With the Select All tool active, select the stroke/shape in the Viewer.

The shape is cut from the Viewer and placed in the clipboard. The transform box still appears on the Viewer and allows you to amend the shape, until you click on another shape or elsewhere in the Viewer.

To cut only animation attributes for a stroke/shape:

1.

With the Select All tool active, select the stroke/shape in the Viewer.

This cuts the animation attributes for the selected stroke/shape and placed it them in the clipboard.

To cut only the animated points for strokes/shapes:

1.

With the Select All tool active, select the animated point(s) of a stroke/shape in the Viewer that you want to cut. Make sure hide points is disabled in the tool settings.

This cuts only the animated points and keyframes and places them in the keyboard.

To Paste Animations

If you want to paste copied or cut animated shape information, consider whether the shape you are pasting over has values that need to be saved. Pasting animated points, spline-keys, and attributes over another shape destroys all points and keyframes of the second shape in order to replace it. To paste animations for a stroke/shape:

1.

With the Select All tool active, select the stroke/shape in the Viewer that you want to paste the animated shape over. If there are not the same number of points on the shape as on the copied shape, pasting the animated shape may not paste as expected.

This pastes the animation and keyframe information for the copied or cut stroke/shape over the previously selected shape. This shape may need to be moved away from the copied shape, in order to see both.

To paste only animation attributes for a stroke/shape:

1.

With the Select All tool active, select the stroke/shape in the Viewer that you want to paste the animated attributes over.

This pastes the animation attributes for the copied or cut stroke/shape over the previously selected shape’s attributes.

To paste only the animated points for strokes/shapes:

1.

With the Select All tool active, select the point(s) of a stroke/shape in the Viewer that you want to paste the animated points over. Make sure hide points is disabled in the tool settings.

This pastes only the animated points and keyframes from the clipboard.