Copy/paste features in ArcGIS Pro - how?

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04-20-2015 08:48 AM
SaraKidd
Occasional Contributor

Trying to copy/paste selected features from one layer to another layer in ArcGIS Pro (file geodatabase). I have used Select by Attribute to grab the features of interest, click on Copy, then click Paste. It seems to be just making a copy of the whole layer. It did not copy the selected features and did not paste them into another layer. It seems there is supposed to be a "Paste special" option but that is not activated - only the regular paste. What am I missing? Thanks.

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36 Replies
simonstrbatrigema
New Contributor

Yes! You had to select the features manually. I mean seriously ESRI?

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JohnSobetzer
Frequent Contributor

ArcGIS Pro currently lacks quite a bit of functionality that is in ArcMap.  I'll hazard a guess that the inability to copy and paste as you would like is what ESRI would call "functionality to be added in later versions" or some language like that.   During the beta testing that was the answer given from ESRI when it was discovered that features could not be copied and pasted using the keyboard commands (ctrl+c and ctrl+v).  Nevertheless I suggest you contact tech support so that they can pass the information on to those working on later Pro versions since I don't believe this difference in selection methods for copying and pasting came up in the beta testing.

JenniferCadkin
Esri Contributor

ctrl+c and ctrl+v are working to copy and paste features within a single feature layer.   At this time we do not support these shortcut keys to paste to a different layer.  As with copy/paste from the ribbon, the map will need to have focus.

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MahindaAbeykoon
New Contributor III

I had the same issue when I wanted to copy/paste point features from two different feature classes (parcPoint_5 and parcPoint_6) to one feature class (parcPoint5_6). I added all three to a Pro project map through Add Data tool.

First, I left click one feature class and selected all features and in Edit menu copied to clipboard. Then I found ‘Past’ dropdown arrow is grayed out, no ‘Paste Special’ tool. When I pasted it simply add a same layer again to the map. (I think Pro is designed this way to protect data.)

Second, I selected all features with the Select arrow of the edit Manu, and copied to clipboard. I found dropdown arrow activated. However when I try to past it to the new layer, with Past Special tool, error window popped up ‘This data is currently locked by another user, cannot be saved.

Then through Pro database connection I add the database to the catalog and moved the data set with three feature classes to the ArcPro project’s default database. Removed the three feature classes from the map and drag and dropped three feature classes from the project’s default database connection. Since then copy paste all worked fine in the Edit menu tools.

Hope this helps!

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SaraKidd
Occasional Contributor

Well, I'm proud (?) that my thread is still going after 4 years. Everytime I get a new email saying someone replied my hopes are up that the issue was resolved. Alas, I have a shiny new 2.4 install now and none of the tricks above are working for me. 

Can we just get Control+C and Control+V working? I'm not asking for anything fancy...

PROBERT68
Frequent Contributor

What about the attributes ? They don't work copy and paste and I would add that to complain !

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JorgeMoreno
New Contributor II

I'm using  ArcGIS PRO 2.3.0 . I still need my administrator to upgrade to 2.5 .  However I still have the problem of copy/paste features in 2.3.  I selected features using "Select By Location"  and then try to copy and paste the selected features and the Paste button is gray out.  The copy and paste still does not work. I hope it works in ArcGIS PRO 2.5.

The work around it is the following:

1. Use "Select By Location"

2. Make Layer from Selected Features

3. Clear Selection

4. Select features using your Selection tool from the selected layer

5. And then copy and paste works.

unbelievable.  what happen to the good old Control+C and Control+V working

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GIS-Chops
New Contributor III

I made a video about copying and pasting features in ArcGIS Pro.

ArcGIS Pro Tutorial: Copy and Paste Features - YouTube 

JenniferCadkin
Esri Contributor

Thank you for sharing the video.  I would like to emphasize, as you do in the video, that Map view focus is key when copying/pasting features.  Because editing shares the clipboard with all of Pro (e.g. copying and pasting layers), focus matters.

Regarding shortcut keys from an earlier comment, CTRL+ALT+V is working for Paste Special at 2.5. 

Whether using the Map or Edit tab, or Shortcut keys (CTRL+C, CTRL+V, CTRL+ALT+V) the map view needs to have focus for copying and pasting features.  Map view has focus when the map view tab is dark blue.

GIS-Chops
New Contributor III

Jennifer Cadkin‌, does the field mapping only work on the original tables? I have two tables joined and tried to map some fields - but the joined fields didn't show up.

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