Menus > Edit Menu

This Edit menu command places a copy of each selected object on the clipboard. The contents of the clipboard can then be pasted into the same sketch, a different sketch, or into another application.

The keyboard shortcut for Copy is Ctrl+C (Windows) or C (Mac).

If you copy objects and paste them into the same sketch or a different sketch, Sketchpad pastes the actual selected objects.

If you copy objects and paste them into a different application, Sketchpad pastes a picture of the selected objects.

Note: Pictures on the Clipboard

On Macintosh, when you copy objects to paste into another application, Sketchpad places a PDF picture of the selected objects on the Clipboard. PDF is a higher-resolution, better-quality picture than the older PICT format; however, older applications may not recognize it.

In Windows, when you copy objects to paste into another application, Sketchpad places an EMF+ (Enhanced Metafile) picture of the selected objects on the Clipboard. EMF+ produces a better-quality picture than the older WMF format. For older applications that don’t recognize EMF+, Sketchpad also places a WMF picture and a DIB (device-independent bitmap) picture. Neither of these formats produces as high-quality an image as EMF+.

If you copy a single table, you can paste the table’s data into another application such as Fathom Dynamic Data or Microsoft Excel.

If you copy while you’re editing a caption or other text, Copy puts the selected text on the clipboard. It can then be pasted back into the same sketch, a different sketch, or into another application.

Note: Text on the Clipboard

When you copy text or a text object (caption, parameter, measurement, calculation, button, or function) to the clipboard and paste it into a different application, the resulting text on the clipboard uses Unicode to incorporate appropriate mathematical symbols. Such objects are available on the clipboard in several formats in order to make available as much of the mathematical information and formatting as possible. The program into which the clipboard is pasted determines which format is used.

•The original text, with full mathematical formatting, is used when you paste into Sketchpad (version 5) or when you paste into Fathom Dynamic Data (version 2).

•Unicode text is used when you paste into modern text editors (Word, Wordpad, Notepad, BBEdit, TextEdit, etc.). This includes any Unicode mathematical symbols, but not styling (such as bold and italics), layout (such as fractions, overbars) or custom symbols not in Unicode.

•Non-Unicode text is used when you paste into older programs. Various Unicode symbols, such as the parallel or perpendicular symbols, may be converted into plain text.