Designer, key combo for duplicate

[Furry]

So many videos available on the internet talk about duplicating an object in Designer by using Command-C followed by Command-J. I am running Designer version 1.10.5 on a Mac using Mac OS 10.14.6 and that sequence just doesn't work for me. Following the key combination shown in the Edit menu, I use Option-Shift-Command-S and that works fine. But it is an awkward combination. What happened to Command-J? It would be so much simpler.

And, for that matter, why do I need to keep repeating it? In Illustrator it was possible in a dialog box to specify how many times you wanted something to done, meaning just a handful of clicks. In Designer it could, in some circumstances, require hundreds of clicks.

[GarryP]

Where are you seeing this ‘Ctrl+C and then Ctrl+J’ combination?
Ctrl+C copies the layer (nothing happens in the document) and Ctrl+J duplicates the layer (a new layer is added to the document).
I can’t think of an occasion where I would want to use Ctrl+C and then Ctrl+J deliberately.

[Furry]

Thanks for your prompt reply, GarryP.

As i said in my first sentence, I am seeing it in videos on the internet. For example, this video <

is only six months old and uses the Command-J key combination at about the 28 minute mark.>

[Furry]

Oops!

I don't now what went wrong but when I tried to paste in the URL, well... you can see what happened and my message was posted before I had finished writing it. And now, of course, it is there for eternity!

You mention Ctrl+C, suggesting to me that you are using a Windows machine whereas, as I stated, i am using a Mac. For me the modifier key is Command.

I never use that combination of Command+C and then Command+J because, as I stated in my first post, they don't work for me. However, I do use the duplication command (mostly from the Edit menu rather than the awkward Option+Shift+Command+S bunch) when I want to use an object multiple times within a file (or even if I only want to use it once more.)

Why does Command+J duplicate for the authors of how-to videos but not for me?

[GarryP]

Have you checked to see what Ctrl+J is set-up to do on your machine in the keyboard shortcuts?
Have a look at the Edit menu and see what Duplicate Selection has as its keyboard shortcut.
If it’s not Ctrl+J then you have different keyboard shortcuts.

(As you say, Windows Ctrl key = macOS Command key)

[PaulEC]

Perhaps the easiest thing would be if you could post a screen grab of your Edit Menu?

[Furry]

GarryP, the keyboard combination shown in my Edit menu is Option+Shift+Command+S. I have not changed any assigned key combination since I installed Designer some three years ago so this is the conbination that came striahg tout of the box.

PaulEC, I thought my description was fairly clear but, if you want a screen shot. Here it is

[v_kyr]

7 minutes ago, Furry said:

GarryP, the keyboard combination shown in my Edit menu is Option+Shift+Command+S. I have not changed any assigned key combination since I installed Designer some three years ago so this is the conbination that came striahg tout of the box.

It should be nowadays in/for ADe be different as default ...

... check also the Preferences keyboard shortcut settings tell ...

 

 

 

 

[Furry]

So when did it change? And why?

[walt.farrell]

15 minutes ago, Furry said:

So when did it change? And why?

I don't think the default ever changed.

[Furry]

Hmmm . . .

Hi Walt. I was hoping your sound advice might come along.

So why does my Designer have a rogue shortcut? I have never changed it.

Now here is a curious thing. I watched a couple of how-to videos on YouTube purporting to show me how to change shortcuts. Then I tried to do it. I went into Preferences, clicked on Shortcuts, selected the Edit menu in the dialog box, scrolled down to "Duplicate" and yes, it shows Option+Shift+Command+S. It also shows a yellow triangle and, when I hovered over it, I was told that the same shortcut is used by the Export menu item. So I clicked on the circled cross to clear the Duplicate shortcut. Then I put in Command+J. So far so good. I closed the preference dialog and went back to my document. I created a simple rectangle, selected it and hit Command+J.

Nothing! No duplicate. No cigar.

I opened the Edit menu and there I could see that the shortcut for duplicate was still Option+Shift+Command+S. Heavy sigh!

I re-opened the Preference dialog and it clearly shows Command+J.

Maybe I need to restart, I think. So I quit and relaunched Designer. Re-opened the Preference dialog and, would you believe, it still shows the shortcut for Duplicate as Option+Shift+Command+S, complete with yellow triangle!

What am I overlooking? Or do I (please, no!) have a corrupt app?

[PaulEC]

In the Windows version there is a reset button for shortcuts, assuming it's the same in Mac, maybe that's worth a try!

[v_kyr]

33 minutes ago, Furry said:

Re-opened the Preference dialog and, would you believe, it still shows the shortcut for Duplicate as Option+Shift+Command+S, complete with yellow triangle!

Quote

-->  If your chosen shortcut has already been assigned, a warning triangle () shows next to the shortcut. To resolve, assign a different shortcut.

See also: Customizing keyb shortcuts

• Customizing keyb shortcuts
• Keyb shortcuts

[Palatino]

I use ⌘+J in the following way:

[Furry]

To PaulEC:

On my Mac there is no button to reset shortcuts. There is a button labelled "Apple Defaults" and another labelled "Serif Defaults." I tried clicking each of them but nothing changed. Then I cleared (by clicking on the cross within a circle) the shortcut for Duplicate altogether and closed the dialog box. But the Edit menu still shows the Option+Shift+Command+S shortcut.

So my question again is: What am I overlooking? Why can't I change the shortcut

[Furry]

To v_kyr:

Yes, I have already looked at each of those links. They both assume the shortcut for Duplicate is Command+J and i would like to make that so on my machine but, as i have outlined clearly in this thread, it is not working.

[Furry]

To Palatino:

Yes, that is exactly the way I use Duplicate but, in my case, it is not Command+J but Option+Shift+Command+S. I would like to change it but, as i have outlined clearly in this thread, the change is not working.

I do hope someone can tell me what I am overlooking.

[v_kyr]

44 minutes ago, Furry said:

To v_kyr:

Yes, I have already looked at each of those links. They both assume the shortcut for Duplicate is Command+J and i would like to make that so on my machine but, as i have outlined clearly in this thread, it is not working.

Then try out resetting the app defaults here and look afterwards how it behaves then! - See therefor:

And also importantly this here ...

Quote

Reset Keyboard Shortcuts
This will delete any custom keyboard shortcuts you've created or modified. You will need to export these by going to Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts > Save before resetting.

 

[Old Bruce]

1 hour ago, Furry said:

I do hope someone can tell me what I am overlooking.

I am assuming you are running the application from the standard location in the Mac's Application folder, not a separate home made folder within that Applications folder or an altogether different location. If the Designer application is not in the Applications folder odd things happen.

In the Finder type Shift + Command + G this will bring up the Go To dialog. Type ~/Library in it and hit return. Now type Command + F to do a search in that folder, you will have to select the Library folder.

Select File Extension instead of the default Kind in the dropdown menu.

type in .affshortcuts you should see something like this

There are three because I have Designer, Photo, and Publisher.

[R C-R]

6 hours ago, Furry said:

On my Mac there is no button to reset shortcuts. There is a button labelled "Apple Defaults" and another labelled "Serif Defaults."

Comparing some of the screenshots others have posted vs. what I see on my Mac running Catalina, I think "Serif Defaults" is the same thing that for me is labelled simply "Reset," the button between  "Apple Defaults" & "Clear All Shortcuts."

before trying it (if you have not already) I suggest using the "Save" button to save the shortcuts you have now, just in case you need to reload them later.

[Furry]

To v_kyr:

I quit from Designer and relaunched with the CTRL key held down (I thought first it might be an instance of windows vs Mac and tried it with Command held down but nothing happened) and then, when the dialog box appeared, I made sure just "Clear User Defaults" was selected. Then I hit the "Clear" button and, after a moment or three, the splash screen appeared and Designer was launched. However, the key combination for Duplicate was still showing Option+Shift+Command+S.

Heavy sigh!

[R C-R]

3 minutes ago, Furry said:

However, the key combination for Duplicate was still showing Option+Shift+Command+S.

Heavy sigh!

Have you tried the using  the "Serif Defaults" button in the Keyboard Shortcuts Preference?

[Furry]

To Old Bruce:

I followed your instructions step by step and eventiually got to the screen showing that I wanted it to search Library for the file extension .affshortcuts. I hit return and all I got was this:

No results at all. I have Designer, Photo and Publisher all installed but not a sausage. What have I misunderstood?

I'm sorry the screen shot is so big but it must have something to do with my screen having a resolution of 144ppi.

[Furry]

To R C-R:

Yes, I have tried both those buttons, the Apple Defaults and the Serif Defaults. nothing changed.

Another heavy sigh.

Now I am going to bed as it is almost 2:00am where I am.

[Palatino]

The search did not bring anything for me either. Here I have exported my shortcuts.

AffinityShortcut.affshortcuts