Hi Friends,
I'm so confused! This is the simplest thing but I can't figure it out.

I have a line, a curved line. And I want to copy part of it. So 1st I add 2 nodes to define the segment I want to copy. Then I click the new segment to select it, and Copy. But time and time again, the entire line is copied. I tried Cut instead of Copy, but same result.

I tried selecting the 2 nodes and clicking the 'Break path at selected nodes' button. Then again, click the segment to select it, and Copy. But again, the entire line gets copied.

The weird thing is that after selecting the segment, I can hit Delete, and the exact segment that I want to copy IS deleted. This leads me to believe I am successfully selecting it. So I don't get why I can't copy (or cut) it????

I know it must be something so simple, and I'm duly embarrassed. But I just can't figure it out. Can someone please tell me what I'm missing? I really appreciate your help

Not sure why you can't do that, but a simple workaround is to duplicate the path then delete the nodes you don't want.

brynn wrote:I know it must be something so simple, and I'm duly embarrassed. But I just can't figure it out. Can someone please tell me what I'm missing? I really appreciate your help

No need to be embarrased, you simply can't do it If you want a copy of a segment you need to duplicate the object then delete all segments bar the one you wanted a copy of.

I'm pretty sure it's normal behaviour for all vector programs to not be able to copy segments or nodes. It's not a limitation of Inkscape.

I'm pretty sure it's normal behaviour for all vector programs to not be able to copy segments or nodes. It's not a limitation of Inkscape.

Whoa!
Can you say why?
I'm trying to think how such a function wouldn't work as far as raster vs vector, but nothing is coming to mind.

It's not that it wouldn't or couldn't work. It's just not the way it has been done. Perhaps because the process of selecting segments, and copying them, is only a step less than duplicating a path, select unwanted segments, and deleting them. It might be that's it's an infrequently required feature.

If you want the concept explored, request it as a feature.

If you want the concept explored, request it as a feature.

Well no, it's not that big of a deal. I was just curious. I tend to want to understand the concepts behind any kind of program's features. It's just in my nature to be curious, I guess

I really wasn't aware of the Duplicate function before. But now I have learned about it, and I'm sure I will become more comfortable using it, the more I use it.

It's probably something in the coding, but it just seems odd to me to have an entirely separate feature, Duplicate, rather than use the Windows standard Copy.

But no worries. I've been able to do what I wasn't before, so I'm good!

Thanks for your help, and for your patience with my seemingly never-ending questions

brynn wrote:It's probably something in the coding, but it just seems odd to me to have an entirely separate feature, Duplicate, rather than use the Windows standard Copy.

The difference is subtle, but duplicate creates a copy in the exact same position as the original. Copy put the copy centre of your viewing area.

Not to pick nits, but the duplicate function also eliminates the "paste" step. "Copy" just places the object on the clipboard to be pasted later.

Duplicate (Ctrl+D) makes a copy above the selection.

Copy (Ctrl+C) and Paste (Ctrl+V) creates a copy centered on the mouse cursor.

Copy (Ctrl+C) and Paste in Place (Ctrl+Alt+V) creates a copy at the same relative position from the lower-left corner of the document. If it's the same document, then it is the same as Duplicate (Ctrl+D).

Clone (Alt+D) creates a copy above the selection that is linked to the selection. Changes to the original causes the same changes in all the clones, except position. Changes to the clone have no effect, except transforms that only changes the clone. Changes of position do not effect clones, but all other transforms do. (Clones are just weird; you'll have to experiment with them to find out exactly what they do.)

Ctrl+shift+K will break the curve into its subpaths, you can then treat them as individual curves.
If you've already broken it and want to just copy one section I'd probably duplicate, ctl+shift+k, deselect the section you want to keep then hit delete to get rid of the rest.