so I am proposing a new feature on the feature request area regarding something which could address your issues. I have worked with many slicers and some industrial systems. On industrial systems when you copy, it is really cloning the gcode to a new location. So you really do get a true copy. items can be moved and rotated around a perpendicular axis to the bed. but that is all for the cloned items. This is my post for this request.
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=12840
this would be a huge undertaking for a project but if it could be implemented it would be a game changer. compared to all the other open source slicers. But this may not be a great return of time invested for S3D. I can only hope it will be.