idea Please make ArcGIS Pro keep the same location of any object copy/pasted between Layouts in ArcGIS Pro Ideas

When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same **Almost Fixed in 3.3.1

RTPL_AU — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 01:13:33 GMT

Parity with ArcMap request.

Currently in Pro, when you copy text from one layout and paste it into another, it is moved to an arbitrary offset to the bottom right of the original.

In ArcMap when copy/pasting between two layouts the pasted text is placed in the original location.

Update the behaviour in Pro to replicate ArcMap.

Edit:
I've just noticed that if you copy/paste between layouts that have the ruler set to different units, then the pasted object is placed in the numerical position value and not the correct location on the page. Non-text objects are scaled by the unit factor as well.
Expected behaviour is to place objects in same position on page at the same size. (this is what other apps I use do....)

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same - Status changed to: Already Offered

AubriOtis — Fri, 07 Jun 2024 17:29:44 GMT

Hi,

This is how ArcGIS Pro does copy paste for text between layouts. When you copy/paste text between layouts it appears at the same XY page coordinates. So if your layouts are the same size/orientation it looks exactly the same. Otherwise it is in the same location, but may look different on a different page size.

I'm sorry it's not working for you. I tested in 3.3 and was getting the expected behavior described in this idea. I think you may have found a bug, since you aren't seeing the same. I recommend reaching out to tech support where they can do further troubleshooting and log a bug if needed.

Cheers,

Aubri Kinghorn

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same

KoryKramer — Sat, 08 Jun 2024 15:07:25 GMT

Just noting that I tested in Pro as well when I saw this idea and elements copied/pasted from one layout to another are pasted in the same location.

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same

RTPL_AU — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 23:43:43 GMT

Copy from Layout 1:

Paste Layout in copy of project (over other text in correct location to show arbitrary offset):

Offset seems to be linked to zoom level.

Project 2 is a copy saved of project 1 with a different are of focus in the map.

@KoryKramer now you know - most senior person in Pro product line to be considered notified 🙂

@AubriOtis Don't know what to say. There must be something in Pro that allows for unexpected behaviour when run down under on 240V and room temperature in C and measured in mm.

Based on past similar cases, lodging this with local support is a waste of time as they will reply once a week with a question (sometimes related) and I will have to analyze every possible combination & iteration across multiple computers. I am busy and my clients do not pay me to troubleshoot your software.

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same

KoryKramer — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 16:03:16 GMT

Hi @RTPL_AU ,

Aubri tried again. I tried again. ArcGIS Pro 3.3.

Copying and pasting text from one layout to another (I've tried in the same project and in different projects) maintains the size and position.

I know that you've added some other details about what you have in one layout vs. another layout and saying that "offset seems to be linked to zoon level"

We're apparently missing some important details to be able to see what you're seeing. At this point, this isn't actionable as an idea and we will need some specifics. If you want to share a project package and steps to reproduce we can take a look, though this is not as simple as the title makes it sound "When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same"

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same

RTPL_AU — Sun, 16 Jun 2024 22:48:09 GMT

Open new Pro-ject without a template.

Insert A4 Layout.

Create Straight text object

Open new Pro instance without template

Insert A4 Layout

Copy text from 1 to 2 (Select with mouse, Ctrl-C, click in Instance 2, Ctrl-V)

Text is in different location.

In this case zoom level didn't make a difference so disregard for now (tested at only 5 zoom levels).

It has been like this for a long time - hence this idea.

Tested this morning across 3 computers running Pro 3.3 & 3.0.1, as direct sessions and using RDP.

When Copy/Paste legend between layouts insert the copy in original location

RTPL_AU — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 13:32:30 GMT

Copy/pasting text was fixed in latest version (~3.3).

Please do the same for copying ANY item between two layouts.

Re: When Copy/Paste legend between layouts insert the copy in original location

RTPL_AU — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 00:44:17 GMT

When copy/pasting between layouts that have the rulers set to different units eg cm & mm, the size and position of a pasted item is completely wrong.
Make sure to fix this as well.

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same **Almost Fixed in 3.3.1

RTPL_AU — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 05:06:35 GMT

@AubriOtis , @KoryKramer this does not work reliably so maybe review the "Already Offered"?

It should basically be that anything you copy from one layout, into another layout in the same project or in another Pro instance, should paste in the same location on the page in the other layout, with no caveats.

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same **Almost Fixed in 3.3.1

AubriOtis — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 15:58:01 GMT

I'm sorry this isn't working for you. Unfortunately Kory and I have never been able to reproduce. The designed behavior of ArcGIS Pro is to copy/paste to the same location, so this idea is already offered. It seems you are running into a bug of some sort. We want to address that as well, but that requires us to reproduce the issue. I recommend reaching out to Tech Support to log a bug. They are great at figuring out the reproducible cases and passing them on to the development team. You can also add a Pro question to see if anyone else has run into this problem.

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same **Almost Fixed in 3.3.1

RTPL_AU — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 00:29:23 GMT

Hi @AubriOtis @KoryKramer case lodged with Esri Australia Case #03714601. It may take a while for anything to happen but as mentioned in another Idea - do you /Esri Inc have access to vanilla Windows and Pro installs to test these things? I just get the idea... that you have a non-default OoB deployment of Windows and/or Pro and something makes Pro behave differently for you than me.
This copy/paste behaviour has been my experience on different computers, different Windows, different Pros for as long as I remember hence the Idea.

I'll do the desktop Hyper-V blank slate Windows & Pro install and test again - you should then be able to replicate the same environment 100%.

Kory - I assume it is part of your Pro change management process to run full tests on out of box Windows versions (either as bare-metal on commodity hardware, or at least blank slate VM installs)?

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same **Almost Fixed in 3.3.1

nicolemnovak4 — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 22:50:22 GMT

I'm having the same issue. Has there been a resolution?

Please make ArcGIS Pro keep the same location of any object copy/pasted between Layouts

RTPL_AU — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 17:26:23 GMT

Please make ArcGIS Pro keep the same location of any object copy/pasted between Layouts.

Referring to this Idea which is more specific to text:

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/when-copy-pasting-text-objects-between-two-layouts/idi-p/1486824

Using Pro 3.5.1 (but this is an old issue) when you copy a single object between layouts, it will be pasted to an offset location.

Please change the behaviour so that anything copied from one layout, will be pasted in exactly the same location in the second.

There have been comments on variations in page size or units - Those seem irrelevant as it is already able to determine a location, and then offsets a distance from it. If the location is completely unfeasible in the destination layout, fall back to the original behaviour.

I understand the legacy reason to offset something in ArcMap due to not having an item list to make it easy to see/find overlapping objects, but that reason is void in Pro.

I often want to copy an inset map, specific text, logo, etc from one map to another and every time I do that I have to go and find/copy all the dimensions to make sure objects are re-placed in the original location to ensure consistency between maps. This is not time efficient.

Plan B is to make it a setting in Options so that we can set the behaviour we need to get our workflows done as efficient as possible.

Re: Please make ArcGIS Pro keep the same location of any object copy/pasted between Layouts

AlfredBaldenweck — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 12:56:12 GMT

Not sure if this is a different Idea or not, but I'd love it if we stopped with the stupid offset whenever we duplicate an item.

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same **Almost Fixed in 3.3.1

AubriOtis — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 18:00:01 GMT

Update

It's possible that different display scales or monitor sizes are affecting this. Is anyone running into this problem when copy/pasting to an instance of Pro on another screen?

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same **Almost Fixed in 3.3.1

nicolemnovak4 — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 14:21:53 GMT

It's happening to me when I'm using remote desktop.

idea Please make ArcGIS Pro keep the same location of any object copy/pasted between Layouts in ArcGIS Pro Ideas

When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same ****Almost Fixed in 3.3.1 **

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same - Status changed to: Already Offered

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same

When Copy/Paste legend between layouts insert the copy in original location

Re: When Copy/Paste legend between layouts insert the copy in original location

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same ****Almost Fixed in 3.3.1 **

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same ****Almost Fixed in 3.3.1 **

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same ****Almost Fixed in 3.3.1 **

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same ****Almost Fixed in 3.3.1 **

Please make ArcGIS Pro keep the same location of any object copy/pasted between Layouts

Re: Please make ArcGIS Pro keep the same location of any object copy/pasted between Layouts

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same ****Almost Fixed in 3.3.1 **

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same ****Almost Fixed in 3.3.1 **

When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same **Almost Fixed in 3.3.1

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same **Almost Fixed in 3.3.1

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same **Almost Fixed in 3.3.1

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same **Almost Fixed in 3.3.1

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same **Almost Fixed in 3.3.1

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same **Almost Fixed in 3.3.1

Re: When copy / pasting text objects between two layouts keep location the same **Almost Fixed in 3.3.1