Copying a shape by dragging it while holding down the Option key is a neat feature of Adobe Illustrator. It’s particularly useful with the Shift key.
Two problems. First, it is imprecise and slow. Cmd-C-V-rightarrow is more precise and quicker. Secondly, Opt-dragging is already used for moving either a handle while at the same time keeping the angle, or moving a node between handles, and other functions, depending on the selection. Opt-drag-copying might, in some circumstances, conflict with these functions.
I find Cmd-C-V-rightarrow a little cumbersome. Opt-rightarrow would be quicker.
the option key is used for so many other things, as mekkablue pointed out, so to add opt-copy would be quite dangerous.
Hi,
Haha, I am also struggling with this. Dragging my mouse, holding down Option/Alt (indeed with Shift for precise alignment) is such a simple useful feature in Illustrator. Drawing a square, clicking it (in Glyphs double-clicking it, just learned that 
) and drag it while holding alt-shift is such a nice workflow (for me) instead of doing cmd-c cmd-v.
Coming from Illustrator there are some simple things just working differently in Glyphs.
I can see that from a programmer point of view It is build up differently.
Can be frustrating for Illustrator users, though.
Same goes for the rotating tool. Why is the center-point not just in the center of the shape so you can rotate it 90degrees in one move? Click R > rotate with holding Shift and done! Do you have a trick for that? (Not using the panel on the lower right, I know that that works…)
How do you duplicate shapes in a breeze?
How do you rotate items in a breeze?
I am curious how you do those simple tasks.
Love to hear from you.
Cheers!
Rolf
To duplicate a shape, just select it, hold Option and drag it, exactly like in Illustrator.
About the rotate tool: How do you want the center of a shape to be calculated?