Copy paste selection seems to not work (Affinity Photo Mac)

[Em Ar]

I can't really get how to select an area in a layer, copy it, and paste (new or same layer)... It seems like it's broken. 

Background layer is selected (tried when unlocked and locked).

I select an area with any of selection tool and hit Cmd-C.

Cmd-V just paste the selected layer no matter what I do. 

Am I just doing it wrong somehow? Obviously I have the latest version, I have reset all the settings etc. It's just weird and frustrating...  

 

[Old Bruce]

This sounds like the Background layer is an Image type of layer as opposed to a Pixel layer. What I do in this situation is duplicate the Background layer, rasterize it, make my selection and copy paste from the pixel layer.

[Ldina]

1 minute ago, Em Ar said:

Cmd-V just paste the selected layer no matter what I do. 

Your underlying layer is probably an "Image Layer", which is normally uneditable, (sort of like a PS smart object), so when you copy and paste, it pastes the entire layer. If you rasterize that background layer it will be converted to a "pixel layer" and copying a selection and pasting will work as expected. 

You can also use Edit > Copy Merged to get around that limitation and leave your background layer as an "Image Layer" (i.e., immutable), then use Cmd-V to paste to a new layer. 

@Old Bruce beat me to the punch...again!! 😀

[SunbeamRuss]

I'm getting the same problem with the Windows version on Windows 11 (Version 2.5.7). It has only recently occurred so I immediately thought of the latest Windows updates as in recent months they have been disastrous for a variety of reasons. Removed update KB5050094 that was recently installed with no change. I tried the rasterizing the base layer before copying across as mentioned in some replies, but it still didnt work.

I have two desktops on Win 11 and both show the same problem, so the fact that it is also showing on a Mac makes it very puzzling.

Cheers

Russ

[Ldina]

2 hours ago, SunbeamRuss said:

the fact that it is also showing on a Mac makes it very puzzling.

No problem here. What problem do you mean?

[SunbeamRuss]

When I do a copy as a Selection from one jpeg and paste to another as a layer, the selection is not seen, ie the pasted layer is blank

[Ldina]

Did you try either of the suggestions in my first post? Works fine on my Mac. 

if that didn’t work, provide more detail, screenshot of entire document window or a video showing your issue.

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, SunbeamRuss said:

When I do a copy as a Selection from one jpeg and paste to another as a layer, the selection is not seen, ie the pasted layer is blank

Do you mean a 'marching ants' selection made on a JPEG file opened (not placed!!!) in an Affinity document? If so, first make sure you have that layer selected, do the copy, & then paste should should create a new layer with whatever the 'marching ants' enclosed on the selected layer.

If this doesn't work, please provide more detail about how you are doing this, step by step.

[Em Ar]

Ahhh, yes, you are right (both of you ).

It's a little strange behaviour though. What else would a selection be other than indicating the area of interest? 

But thank you!

[R C-R]

2 hours ago, Em Ar said:

What else would a selection be other than indicating the area of interest? 

It defines an area of interest of the canvas, but since that area can contain anything from nothing at all (because you can create a marching ants selection & save it to an Affinity document even when you have added no layers to it) to ten's or even hundreds of layers, you have to specify what part of which layer(s) you are interested in copying from.

[SunbeamRuss]

Yes as you say selection made with marching ants, Refined, then Apply. Contrl C th copy it, then move across to the other JPEG and Contrl V to paste it in. The pasted layer is not showing the item I selected, it is completely blank.

I am going to try the same procedure using a multi layer .aphoto file as the receiving file.

Many thanks for your feedback

[R C-R]

7 hours ago, SunbeamRuss said:

... then move across to the other JPEG and Contrl V to paste it in.

What do you mean by "move it across to the other JPEG"? What if any layer have you selected when you do the copy & what do you mean by "other JPEG"?

[SunbeamRuss]

I have two jpegs open, the one I am copying the selection from and the other which is to be the receiving image. I select the item in jpeg 1, Control C to copy it, then go to jpeg2 ie the receiving one, and Control V to paste in my selection

[R C-R]

Just now, SunbeamRuss said:

I select the item in jpeg 1....

How specifically are you selecting it? What specifically do you mean by "the item"? Do you have any layer selected in the Layers panel when you do that? What type(s) of layer(s) do you have in the first file?

Note also that if you open a JPEG file in Affinity, it is not still a JPEG file. It is a pixel layer. If you Place a JPEG, it is an Image layer.