Copy things out of png/jpg

Question

Hi,
I am working with Illustrator CS4 on a Macintosh. I am working on a project in which I am editing a jpg file. I want to copy small bits out of the file and place them elsewhere in the picture. However, selection tools do not work on these files. I have tried to trace the picture to make it into vector paths, but it makes such complicated paths that I can't do anything with them - in addition, it seems I cannot copy these converted paths.
Is there any way of handling this within Illustrator? If I need to use another program to do this, any advice on how which program to use?
Thanks for any advice you might have!

Answer 1

Anne Marie,
The is a dirty destructive deed you may perform:
For each bit to be copied and moved, keeping the original image at the bottom and locked (when not copying it):
1) Create the desired outer shape and a copy of the image;
2) Select both and Object>Clipping Mask>Make;
This will give you a visible part of the image and and invisible outlying parts to drag round:
3) In the Transparency palette/panel dropdown, select anything but Normal (who is normal here?);
4) Object>Flatten Transparency (just use the defaults).
This will rid you of the outlying parts outside the Bounding Box (the actual shape and possible outlying parts of a rectangle enclosing it) with only the relevant parts to drag round. And only the reused parts of the image add to the file size.
Note: This deed may also be done with vector artwork, but in this case stroked paths will have their strokes outlined.