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Help Center/Layers and tools/Apply layers/Copy and paste layer

Copy and paste layer

Basic copy and paste

When you copy and paste on the canvas, Motiff will determine the layer level and position to paste based on the situation.

In principle, Motiff prioritizes ensuring that the pasted layer is relatively high in the layer hierarchy so that it can be seen while keeping its position as consistent as possible with the original.

Paste layer levels

If a frame or group is selected during pasting, the pasted layer will be placed in the selected frame or group, at the topmost level inside it.

If other types of layers are selected during pasting, the pasted layer will be placed in the frame or group of the selected layer.

Paste placement

The pasted layer will prioritize maintaining its relative position to the parent frame/group. If the original coordinates exceed the target frame, Motiff will place the layer in the center of the target frame.

In the example below, after pasting several layers from Frame 1 into Frame 2, the positions are as shown:

  • The purple rectangle has both X and Y coordinates within the target frame, so its relative position to the parent frame remains unchanged.
  • The yellow circle has its X coordinate within the target frame, so it is retained. However, since the Y coordinate exceeds the target frame, it is vertically centered within the target frame.
  • The red triangle has both X and Y coordinates exceeding the target frame. After pasting, it will be centered both horizontally and vertically within the target frame.

'Pasting Position -1.png'

When copying and pasting the top-level frame, Motiff will prioritize placing the paste result in the empty space on the right.

'Pasting Position -2.png'When multiple frames/groups are selected during pasting, you can simultaneously paste into multiple frames/groups.

Tip: If the pasted layer cannot be fully displayed within the current view, we will adjust the canvas view to fully display the pasted layer.

More options for copy and paste

In Motiff, in addition to the most commonly used ⌘ Command / Ctrl + C (copy) and ⌘ Command / Ctrl + V (paste), you can also use the following methods to achieve copy and paste. Each option has its characteristics, so you can choose the appropriate one based on the specific scenario.

Paste here

After copying a layer, you can right-click on the desired location and select Paste here from the context menu to paste the layer at the cursor's position.

Paste to replace

After copying a layer, select one or more layers and use the paste to replace function to replace the selected layers with the layer from the clipboard.

  • Right-click on the selected layer and choose Paste to replace from the menu.
  • In the main menu under Edit, select Paste to replace.
  • Use the shortcut ⇧ Shift + ⌘ Command + R (macOS) or Shift + Ctrl + R (Windows).

Tip: When using the paste to replace feature, the pasted result will inherit the constraints of the replaced layer.

Paste over selection

After copying a layer, select a layer and use the paste to selected position function to paste the layer from the clipboard above the selected layer.

  • Click on the main menu under Edit and select Paste over selection.
  • Use the shortcuts ⇧ Shift + ⌘ Command + V (macOS) or Shift + Ctrl + V (Windows).

Tip: When using paste over selection, the pasted result will inherit the constraints of the replaced layer.

Drag copy

After selecting a layer, you can hold down ⌥ Option (macOS) or Alt (Windows) and then drag the selected layer to create a copy.

Create duplicates

After selecting a layer, you can use ⌘ Command + D (macOS) or Ctrl + D (Windows) to create a duplicate of the selected layer.

Tip: Using ⌥ Option (macOS) or Alt (Windows) to drag copy and then create a duplicate can maintain the same spacing between duplicates.

Copy as SVG

You can copy the selected layer as SVG to the clipboard to paste as a vector image into Motiff or other applications.

  • Right-click on the selected layer, choose Copy as SVG from the context menu.
  • Click on the main menu under Edit and select Copy as SVG.

Copy as PNG

You can copy the selected layer as PNG to the clipboard to paste into Motiff or other applications. When using the copy as PNG function, it will default generate the PNG at 2× size.

  • Right-click on the selected layer, choose Copy as PNG from the context menu.
  • Click on the main menu under Edit and select Copy as PNG.
  • Use the shortcut ⇧ Shift + ⌘ Command + C (macOS) or Shift + Ctrl + C (Windows).

Copy properties, paste properties

Motiff supports copying and pasting layer properties to other layers. The properties that can be copied include corner radius, auto layout spacing, margins, fill, stroke, effects, and text properties.

You can copy and paste properties in the following ways:

  • Right-click on the selected layer, and choose Copy properties or Paste Properties from the context menu.
  • Shortcuts:
    • Copy properties: ⌥ Option + ⌘ Command + C (macOS) or Alt + Ctrl + C (Windows)
    • Paste properties: ⌥ Option + ⌘ Command + V (macOS) or Alt + Ctrl + V (Windows)

Additionally, you can select one or more properties and use ⌘ Command + C (copy) and ⌘ Command + V (paste) to copy and paste properties.