Provide Copy Drag feature

[inContour]

In Photoshop I create a bit  of linework, then select it with the marquee, hold alt and drag it to create a duplicate of the linework within the same raster layer. This is quick and easy to do and is a must as a professional illustrator. Please make this possible in Affinity!

Edited April 1, 2022 by HappyFeet406
spelling

[Old Bruce]

Hi and welcome to the forums @HappyFeet406,

What I do is not use the "alt and drag" but just hit Command + C and then Command V to get a copy. This is on Mac. I do see how staying in the Marquee tool could be useful though.

[Rudolphus]

On Windows use Ctrl + drag to create a copy of selected object(s)/layer(s) in Move tool.

BTW it sometimes doesn't work as expected, in my experience. Better workflow is then: first start drag (object will move with mouse) and then press Ctrl (original object will reappear). While holding Ctrl drag new copy where you want it and drop (release mouse button).

[fde101]

22 hours ago, Rudolphus said:

create a copy of selected object(s)/layer(s) in Move tool.

That is for objects/layers.  This discussion is for a pixel selection (using the tools in the pixel persona) for which that does not work.

[Rudolphus]

Sorry then. He mentions linework in Designer, that mislead me ;o)

[Sotalo]

I second this. It's so weird not being able to alt-drag and get a copy of some selected raster lines when manipulating linework. I do this for sketches and concepts all the time. The problem with Copy/Paste is it splits the new copy on a separate layer. And if you have effects running, you have to copy the effect style, group the two layers, rasterize, then paste the effect style in order to merge the duplicated objects together and retain the same number of layers and other effects.

Alt+drag would be much easier.

[Tog]

I was just testing Affinity Photo and stumbled onto this behavior.

I am so accustomed to being able to quickly Select->Press V->Hold Alt->Drag to make a quick clone in the same layer to patch something up. It's something that I do probably dozens of times for every image I work on. Is this really not possible with Affinity? It's clunky and time-consuming to to have to hit CTRL-V CTRL-C multiple times and then manually arrange them and merge all the newly created layers. I haven't worked like that since using MS Paint during the Clinton administration.