Cannot copy and paste between drawings

[KRENG]

Hey guys,

I'm using Autocad 2002.

 

I am having trouble copying out of a drawing (model space) which i received from someone else, and pasting into my own. The properties on the original dwg file suggest it was created Sept 2001. It appears to copy OK (copyclip/copybase), but when i jump into my file and try to paste, the command line just reads:

 

_pasteclip

 

and nothing appears in my model space.

 

I've tried zooming extents, exploding the original, changing layers and line types etc into the same as in my own dwg. I've also tried to convert/save the dwg file into dxf's and other version dwg's....without success.

 

I have about half a dozen drawings received from the same source, and they all let you copy data into them, but won't let you copy/cut out.

 

This has had me stumped all day...i've never come across anything like this before.

 

Any help appreciated...

 

Regards,

Scott

[Gary_W]

Hello Scott,

 

The layer you are pasting into is not turned off is it?

[dbroada]

not an answer to your imediate problem but what happens if you insert your supplied drawing into one of your own?

[autoCAD_dhruv]

hi friend

for copying the drawing from another file ,you can open it and

right-click on the sheet of which drawing you had to copy and then select the drawing.then right-click on the drawing,open your file and then paste.then put it wherever you want

[Cad64]

Have you tried to WBLOCK out the entities you need and then insert them into your other drawing as a block with the INSERT command?

[pennylove]

If the layers that you are trying to copy is locked, it won't let you copy. Check that first. Second, if you are copying something from model space into paperspace, the object may be too large and will not immediately appear on the screen. In this care, try a zoom extents command, and you should be able to find your object. The next thing to check if neither one of these is the case, try a copy with base point (it's in the pull down 'edit' menu, or Ctrl + Shift + C) and select the base point in the middle of the object, then paste it into your new drawing.

 

Let me know if that works for you, or not, I've got other suggestions.

[AccessStudent]

Also check to see if the layer(s) of the objects you are copying from exists in the new drawing. If the layers do not exist on the new drawing, they will be copied to your drawing, but you will not be able to see them. (Just Learned in My Intermediate Cad Class)..

 

Just a Thought...

[KRENG]

Hello Scott,

The layer you are pasting into is not turned off is it?

 

Yep i checked this and nothing was frozen/turned off etc. I had identical layers in source and destination files.

 

not an answer to your imediate problem but what happens if you insert your supplied drawing into one of your own?

 

Bingo!

For some reason, i thought i had already tried to insert drawing as a block. So i did this, and no problems. Straight into my drawing! Thanks! I feel a tad silly now... Still a mystery as to why i can't copy.

 

hi friend

for copying the drawing from another file ,you can open it and

right-click on the sheet of which drawing you had to copy and then select the drawing.then right-click on the drawing,open your file and then paste.then put it wherever you want

 

Yep, that's what i was already doing. Thanks anyway...i have now resolved my problem with a workaround.

 

Have you tried to WBLOCK out the entities you need and then insert them into your other drawing as a block with the INSERT command?

 

I tried this, and it won't write blocks for individual items. I now have overcome my problem just by inserting block (the entire original source file). Simple as that!

 

If the layers that you are trying to copy is locked, it won't let you copy. Check that first. Second, if you are copying something from model space into paperspace, the object may be too large and will not immediately appear on the screen. In this care, try a zoom extents command, and you should be able to find your object. The next thing to check if neither one of these is the case, try a copy with base point (it's in the pull down 'edit' menu, or Ctrl + Shift + C) and select the base point in the middle of the object, then paste it into your new drawing.

 

Let me know if that works for you, or not, I've got other suggestions.

 

I tried all of this with no success. I now found a solution. Thanks anyway.

PS. i was copying from model space to model space

 

Also check to see if the layer(s) of the objects you are copying from exists in the new drawing. If the layers do not exist on the new drawing, they will be copied to your drawing, but you will not be able to see them. (Just Learned in My Intermediate Cad Class)..

 

Just a Thought...

 

Thanks for the tip, but i already had common layers between to 2 drawings.

 

 

Much appreciated for the help guys, i now achieved a workaround to my problem which has now made my life a lot easier . I know where to come now if i have any further problems/queries. This forum is great!

 

Regards,

Scott

[hummer87]

Just copy the desired block in place using the COPY command (not COPYCLIP) then use cut (or Cntrl+X) an you will be able to paste it to the other drawing. I'll be happy to know why it cannot be copied (I believe it is deliberate). Anyone?

[baih0000]

Okay I have a question, I'm using Autocad 2014, and when I perform this act, pasting it in another drawing, after hitting ctrl-v, an instruction comes out, wanting me to answer the prompt selection (and there are a few boxes of it)... Should I ignore this prompt selection by hitting okay? If it's okay, why is it that I cannot find any of my paste drawing there?

[ibach]

Could you please be more eloquent, please. I'd like to answer, but you have said nothing about the prompt autocad has stated after the paste command. It probably has to do with blocks, but I cannot be sure. Give us all the clues you can.

 

Most of us do not use 2014 for a long time now and do not have it installed.

Some screenshots would be fine to avoid unnecessary discussion.

 

PS:

- Check block names in both drawings. If there are same names, check the difference between blocks. This is especially important for dynamic blocks and the names of parameters inside them being different in both drawings.

- Check Xrefs, if any, too

- Upload both drawings so we can try to do the analysis for you

- Export system variable settings and post too if we do not find the answer before

 

What you could try is purging both drawings, audit and recover for both. Even wblocking them both out to new set of drawings, and try the copy paste command between the new set of dwg-s and post the result. This might lead to the answer.

 

You could open the destination dwg, enter SYSVARMONITOR command, go to Edit List, add all variables to the list, click ok.

than do the copy paste command as usual and after the command was executed, do input SYSVARMONITOR command and have a look at the system variables that had changed.

Make a screenshot of the result and post.

Edited November 4, 2016 by ibach

[baih0000]

Could you please be more eloquent, please. I'd like to answer, but you have said nothing about the prompt autocad has stated after the paste command. It probably has to do with blocks, but I cannot be sure. Give us all the clues you can.

 

Most of us do not use 2014 for a long time now and do not have it installed.

Some screenshots would be fine to avoid unnecessary discussion.

 

PS:

- Check block names in both drawings. If there are same names, check the difference between blocks. This is especially important for dynamic blocks and the names of parameters inside them being different in both drawings.

- Check Xrefs, if any, too

- Upload both drawings so we can try to do the analysis for you

- Export system variable settings and post too if we do not find the answer before

 

What you could try is purging both drawings, audit and recover for both. Even wblocking them both out to new set of drawings, and try the copy paste command between the new set of dwg-s and post the result. This might lead to the answer.

 

You could open the destination dwg, enter SYSVARMONITOR command, go to Edit List, add all variables to the list, click ok.

than do the copy paste command as usual and after the command was executed, do input SYSVARMONITOR command and have a look at the system variables that had changed.

Make a screenshot of the result and post.

 

It's actually to hit the okay button, to skip it, that the prompt selection box has gone... But still the pasted drawing is not there... Okay, maybe this Monday, will print-screen it and attach it for you... The funny thing is in my office, that uses Autocad 2014 as well (meaning other workstations), do not have such problems...

 

What about the option of copy as block? Will it be the same as to copy by true block editing? I haven't tried it but I will tell you...

 

Also will try the SYSVARMONITOR command... Thank you

[ReMark]

When you copy and paste between two drawings you should always establish a basepoint on the entity itself that way even if you have to resort to using the key combination of CTRL+V the entity will be attached to your crosshairs when pasting in the second drawing meaning you'll be able to see it and not have to guess where it is.

 

I've been able to reproduce the problem on my computer running AutoCAD 2015. The thing is I don't receive any onscreen prompt selection messages. We need the exact wording of the message you are seeing.

 

Did you try shutting down AutoCAD and restarting it?

 

What version of AutoCAD was used to create the drawing you are copying from?

 

Is your version of AutoCAD current with all service packs?

 

I don't think the problem has anything to do with block names, xrefs or system variables.

[baih0000]

It's actually to hit the okay button, to skip it, that the prompt selection box has gone... But still the pasted drawing is not there... Okay, maybe this Monday, will print-screen it and attach it for you... The funny thing is in my office, that uses Autocad 2014 as well (meaning other workstations), do not have such problems...

 

What about the option of copy as block? Will it be the same as to copy by true block editing? I haven't tried it but I will tell you...

 

Also will try the SYSVARMONITOR command... Thank you

 

Okay another thing to add, I have tried SYSVARMONITOR, and going into the Edit, I added all of the variable functions, but it's just that it's too much for me to snap it one go (about more than 300)... I even could not copy it to any Text format, that should include its availability no. So how to solve this?

[baih0000]

When you copy and paste between two drawings you should always establish a basepoint on the entity itself that way even if you have to resort to using the key combination of CTRL+V the entity will be attached to your crosshairs when pasting in the second drawing meaning you'll be able to see it and not have to guess where it is.

 

I've been able to reproduce the problem on my computer running AutoCAD 2015. The thing is I don't receive any onscreen prompt selection messages. We need the exact wording of the message you are seeing.

 

Did you try shutting down AutoCAD and restarting it?

 

What version of AutoCAD was used to create the drawing you are copying from?

 

Is your version of AutoCAD current with all service packs?

 

I don't think the problem has anything to do with block names, xrefs or system variables.

 

Haven't tried it... I don't know, but I'm using Autocad 2014 in my office... Other workstations may vary in versions, but the rest of the 2014s are fine.

[ReMark]

You're killing me.

 

I have a simple test I would like you to do. In the working drawing (the one you want to paste to) do a -Purge twice. The first time you run the command purge Regapps. Repeat and do a purge > All. -Purge is not the same as Purge. The dash must be included. Save the drawing after purging. Close then reopen the drawing. Now try to copy/paste from another drawing into the drawing you just purged. What happens?

Edited November 4, 2016 by ReMark

[baih0000]

You're killing me.

 

I have a simple test I would like you to do. In the working drawing (the one you want to paste to) do a -Purge twice. The first time you run the command purge Regapps. Repeat and do a purge > All. -Purge is not the same as Purge. The dash must be included. Save the drawing after purging. Close then reopen the drawing. Now try to copy/paste from another drawing into the drawing you just purged. What happens?

 

I'm sorry you all... Forgot about the reply... Actually when I came to work, and start the Autocad, my Autocad has become fine... It's the restarting issue actually... Anyway, thanks.

[eortiz86]

Yep i checked this and nothing was frozen/turned off etc. I had identical layers in source and destination files.

 

 

 

Bingo!

For some reason, i thought i had already tried to insert drawing as a block. So i did this, and no problems. Straight into my drawing! Thanks! I feel a tad silly now... Still a mystery as to why i can't copy.

 

 

 

Yep, that's what i was already doing. Thanks anyway...i have now resolved my problem with a workaround.

 

 

 

I tried this, and it won't write blocks for individual items. I now have overcome my problem just by inserting block (the entire original source file). Simple as that!

 

 

 

I tried all of this with no success. I now found a solution. Thanks anyway.

PS. i was copying from model space to model space

 

 

 

Thanks for the tip, but i already had common layers between to 2 drawings.

 

 

Much appreciated for the help guys, i now achieved a workaround to my problem which has now made my life a lot easier . I know where to come now if i have any further problems/queries. This forum is great!

 

Regards,

Scott

 

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Anyone currently having this issue: Turn "Annotative" to OFF in the drawing you are copying from. Then copy, paste, and you're dont (instead of jumping through hoops and doing wblock, xplode, etc.).

[eortiz86]

Supposed to say and you're ***"done"***

 

[Cad64]

(instead of jumping through hoops and doing wblock, xplode, etc.)

 

This thread was started back in 2006, when there was no such thing as "Annotative". Your solution may work now, but back then, jumping through hoops was how we solved these types of problems.