Copy and paste is NOT on the exact same position

[oprie_ma]

Hello,

when I'm copying the content from one Symbol to another, the positions are not the same. How comes? What can I do?

I've worked lots of hours on an animation and normally I'm saving all the time. THIS time I didn't. What happend: The .fla won't open the next day.

I also updated that day from Animate 16 to 17.

I renamed then the  fla in zip, opened it in WinRAR and repaired it. Now I could open the fla, but all of my symbols are gone.

But I didn't transformed all of my drawings, so the untransformed drawings are still there!  For example: I have one head left and the missing symbols are just some mouthshapes (the symbols are still in the timeline but without content). Now I copy the head, put it in the empty symbol, make some changes, and everything is fine. Good idea, but it doesn't place the copy exactly at the same position.

If somebody has any idea I would appreciate it!

[Colin Holgate]

There is Paste in Place if you want to paste something at the same location it was when you did the Copy.

[oprie_ma]

Yes, but that didnt work!

It's a little shifted and rotated.

[Myra Ferguson]

Since you said you're copying and pasting from one symbol to another, it sounds like it could be the location of the copy issue could be due to a difference in where the registration point is from your first symbol to the 2nd. If you want Paste in Place to work, those 2 registration points will need to be the same in both symbols. To adjust it, enter editing mode for one of your symbols. Place your artwork at the same location for X and Y relative to the crosshairs. Check that your other symbol is at the same distance from its crosshairs as the other symbol. Then try the Paste in Place.

[travisbrainerd]

Copy and paste is relative to the orientation point (shows up as a little cross), not the stage. You will have to duplicate a symbol to get its exact orientation settings or it will not paste in the same place visually.

A quick fix is to set the pasted content to wireframe and drag it into place. Use Edit Multiple Frames to select animation in the timeline and move everything at once.

Additionally, if you want any future changes you make to show up in both places, you might want to consider putting the content into a symbol before copying and pasting.

[oprie_ma]

Yes, that was my idea, travis and kyra, but it still didn't match. maybe it's because the registration point in the empty symbol is too different and i can not move it to the right point..

Here is a small testfile. The (not symbol) head needs to be placed into the empty symbols. But exactly otherwise the head is shaking.

Thank you!

[travisbrainerd · Accepted solution]

Something else that might help is the 'Set Reg Point To Transform Point' extension. It lets you change the registration point from outside the symbol.

You can just put the JSFL in your Commands folder and it should work. More info from the distributor of that tool here.

[oprie_ma]

AWESOME!! A little tricky, but it worked! At first I had to center all of my empty keyframes manually because it changes only one selected keyframe at a time. then I symboled the unsymboled head, centered it, copy and pasted it in the empty, now centered keyframe. Almost there because there is still a rotation about -6,2. so I went into my symboled head, rotated it 6,2. Done! Now it fits perfect!

And by the way, because of your tip with the flag markers, few days ago, I now knew, which head needs what kind of mouthshape!

So I have to see the crash as an unwanted but very helpful lesson! Thanks a lot!

And I didn't figured out the rest of these awesome power tools!

[travisbrainerd]

Hah, great, glad I saw your posts and could help! Definitely a little tedious but that plugin makes all the difference.