The Windows clipboard allows you to copy information from one location to another within Windows. This is useful for copying maps from one window to another, copying objects between layers, or even copying maps to other applications. In fact, if you want to incorporate your maps in other applications, the most efficient way to do this is by copying the map to the clipboard and then pasting these clipboard contents into the other application. When you copy and paste objects within the same map window, or between map windows, the objects are preserved in their native format. These copied objects can be modified in the same way as the original.
There are several commands to consider when copying maps or portion of maps to the clipboard.
Copy copies selected objects to the clipboard.
Cut removes the selected objects from the window as it copies them to the clipboard.
Paste places the clipboard contents in the active layer.
Paste Special sets the input clipboard format types.
Copy to Another Layer makes a copy of the selected objects in the specified layer. The original objects remain in the current layer.
Copy All Layers makes a copy of all objects on all layers to the clipboard.
Move to Another Layer makes a copy of the selected object or objects in specified layer. The original objects are removed from the active layer.
Copying Maps to Another Windows Application
You can also use the clipboard to copy a map from MapViewer into a word processor or other application. You can copy an entire drawing, including a map and any associated objects. When you make a copy using the clipboard, usually only the drawing commands are sent to the clipboard, so you lose the MapViewer controls over the map. Although you can often modify the individual objects (such as polygons, polylines, text, and so on) in the accepting application.
There are two different ways to copy a map to the clipboard.
When you use the Edit | Copy command, only the selected objects are copied to the clipboard and only objects from the current layer can be copied. You can select individual objects to the clipboard, or you can copy the entire drawing. You can use the mouse to click individual objects, use the Edit | Block Select command to select limited portions of the drawing or use the Edit | Select All command to select all the objects on the page. When the desired objects are selected, choose Edit | Copy, and a copy of all selected objects is sent to the clipboard. You can then paste the clipboard image into another Windows application
If your map consists of more than one layer, you can use the Edit | Copy All Layers command to copy all objects from all layers to the clipboard.
Pasting Information from Other Applications
You can copy information from other applications into the map window or worksheet window. The map window can accept metafiles, bitmaps, or text, and the worksheet window can accept text information.
When information resides in the clipboard, choose the Edit | Paste or Edit | Paste Special commands. In the map window, a cross hair cursor appears allowing you to indicate the position on the page that you want to paste the incoming information. Move the cross hair cursor to the desired position and click the left mouse button to paste the information into the window.