Always select new object instance after using copy->paste instead of keeping focus on the original

I think it would be better for the work flow if the gdevelop would set focus on the new instance of the object after using copy->paste instead of still being focused on the original instance of the object.

I have 2 reasons for this:

  • if you are doing copy/paste on the instance of an object, you almost always want to manipulate the copy anyway
  • on larger projects with a lot of objects in the same place, there can be troubles with z-order and selecting the newly created copy which is buried under other overlapping objects. It’s nothing game breaking, but it’s always a waste of time trying to find a way to select the new instance of an object you just created. Having the new instance be auto-selected would simplify this proces alot(you could manipulate the object on the spot or move it elsewhere without fighting with z-order)
1 Like

I am unsure why this makes a difference, the copy should be fully identical to the original so it shouldn’t change anything whether the copy or the original is selected, does it?

Yes, but sometimes it creates the copy next to the original instance so selecting and manipulating the copy is preferable. Also sometimes it spawns the copy perfectly on top of original object without any indicators, which is not a good design decision in my opinion.

I don’t believe that’s what the OP meant. Say you do a copy & paste and then want to change something like an instance variable, layer, z-order etc. You then need to click on the copy before you can edit the variable, otherwise you’re editing the variable of the original.

I am aware but why does it matter whether it or the original is selected since both are the exact same, any can take the place of the other so one will always remain with the exact settings of the original and the other with the ones from the copy?

When you paste, the new object is not in the same place as the original.

I think this functionality is more relevant for dragging an object from the side bar onto the scene. It’s a right pain when you drag in a new object, change some of it’s parameters, only to find you’ve been editing the wrong object because focus is still on the previous scene object, and not on the one you’ve just dragged/created.

3 Likes