MXa: copy / paste text block attributes -- change from FH9?

[JohnSplash webforumsuser@macromedia.com]

I'm getting some very weird behavior from copy/paste attributes. Here's what I'm seeing:

1) I create a text block and type my name in it.
2) I drag a copy of the text block.
3) I change the font of the first text block.
4) With the first text block still selected, I "copy attributes".
5) I select the second text block and "paste attributes".
6) Text disappears from second text block. Object inspector now lists "text block", but no "text:font" or "text:fill".

What's up with that? This worked properly in FH9 and earlier. Is this a bug, or another "feature" with a 3-step workaround?

I've noticed that if I use the text tool to select the text before pasting attributes, I achieve the desired result, but please tell me that's not required. Pretty please?

[Judy Arndt]

JohnSplash wrote:

> Is this a bug, or another "feature" with a 3-step workaround?

Whether it's a bug or a feature I have no idea. Sorry to inform you that,
yes, you need to subselect text to copy attributes.

You don't have to switch to the text tool unless you want to.
Double-clicking once into the text block with the pointer tool changes the
cursor to the text tool and places an insertion point. A second double-click
selects a word from which you can copy attributes.

Judy Arndt

[JohnSplash webforumsuser@macromedia.com]

As I mentioned, "Copy Attributes" works without subselecting text. "Paste Attributes" doesn't.

I guess this will go onto the wishlist. Seems like a basic usability issue to me. I'm trying hard to figure out a good reason to NOT allow "Paste Attributes" to apply to an entire text block (as it did in previous versions of FH). A very common operation for me is to copy text from a client's Word doc, then paste into my FH doc, and "Paste Attributes" to strip out all the garbage formatting. Now, it's paste into my FH doc, double-click the text block, select-all, then paste attributes. Yes, it can be done with a style as well, but those are extra setup steps. Again, I see no reason why I should be forced into a workaround unnecessarily.

Regarding the text tool, yes, I am aware I can double-click a text block to activate the text tool. You'll notice in my first post that I didn't mention HOW I activated the text tool . . .

It's moot, IMHO. It's still extra steps to achieve what used to be a one-step operation. If this functional change was done to maintain some kind of consistency in MM's new universal interface, then all I can say is "Grrrrrr." The need for completely consistent interfaces across wildly different apps is of prime importance only to newbies. I'd rather have unimpaired functionality.