oh my gawd!!! I LOVE DOPUS!!!
got it working... I was missing the /CMD
Run, "C:\Program Files\GPSoftware\Directory Opus\dopusrt.exe" /CMD Clipboard COPY FILE "%filetoclip%"
I spent about 6 or 7 hours on the autohotkey forums and chatgpt today dealing with s##ty code from 2015, pulling my hair out.... and then...
I thought DOPE!, 30 mins flat, it just works! 
Save yourself from heartache and just do DOPE y'all!!! Hahaha
this...
Run, "C:\Program Files\GPSoftware\Directory Opus\dopusrt.exe" /CMD Clipboard COPY FILE "%filetoclip%"
or a headache...
COPYFiletoclipboardfromselection(PathToCopy) ;; function
{
temp_list := "" ; Initialize the variable to avoid the warning
; Expand to full paths:
Loop, Parse, PathToCopy, `n, `r
Loop, %A_LoopField%, 1
temp_list .= A_LoopFileLongPath "`n"
PathToCopy := SubStr(temp_list, 1, -1)
; Allocate some movable memory to put on the clipboard.
; This will hold a DROPFILES struct and a null-terminated list of
; null-terminated strings.
; 0x42 = GMEM_MOVEABLE(0x2) | GMEM_ZEROINIT(0x40)
hPath := DllCall("GlobalAlloc","uint",0x42,"uint",StrLen(PathToCopy)+22)
; Lock the moveable memory, retrieving a pointer to it.
pPath := DllCall("GlobalLock","uint",hPath)
NumPut(20, pPath+0) ; DROPFILES.pFiles = offset of file list
pPath += 20
; Copy the list of files into moveable memory.
Loop, Parse, PathToCopy, `n, `r
{
DllCall("lstrcpy","uint",pPath+0,"str",A_LoopField)
pPath += StrLen(A_LoopField)+1
}
; Unlock the moveable memory.
DllCall("GlobalUnlock","uint",hPath)
DllCall("OpenClipboard","uint",0)
; Empty the clipboard, otherwise SetClipboardData may fail.
DllCall("EmptyClipboard")
; Place the data on the clipboard. CF_HDROP=0xF
DllCall("SetClipboardData","uint",0xF,"uint",hPath)
DllCall("CloseClipboard")
}
ClipboardSetFiles(FilesToSet, DropEffect := "Copy") {
; FilesToSet - list of fully qualified file pathes separated by "`n" or "`r`n"
; DropEffect - preferred drop effect, either "Copy", "Move" or "" (empty string)
Static TCS := A_IsUnicode ? 2 : 1 ; size of a TCHAR
Static PreferredDropEffect := DllCall("RegisterClipboardFormat", "Str", "Preferred DropEffect")
Static DropEffects := {1: 1, 2: 2, Copy: 1, Move: 2}
; -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
; Count files and total string length
TotalLength := 0
FileArray := []
Loop, Parse, FilesToSet, `n, `r
{
If (Length := StrLen(A_LoopField))
FileArray.Push({Path: A_LoopField, Len: Length + 1})
TotalLength += Length
}
FileCount := FileArray.Length()
If !(FileCount && TotalLength)
Return False
; -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
; Add files to the clipboard
If DllCall("OpenClipboard", "Ptr", A_ScriptHwnd) && DllCall("EmptyClipboard") {
; HDROP format ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
; 0x42 = GMEM_MOVEABLE (0x02) | GMEM_ZEROINIT (0x40)
hDrop := DllCall("GlobalAlloc", "UInt", 0x42, "UInt", 20 + (TotalLength + FileCount + 1) * TCS, "UPtr")
pDrop := DllCall("GlobalLock", "Ptr" , hDrop)
Offset := 20
NumPut(Offset, pDrop + 0, "UInt") ; DROPFILES.pFiles = offset of file list
NumPut(!!A_IsUnicode, pDrop + 16, "UInt") ; DROPFILES.fWide = 0 --> ANSI, fWide = 1 --> Unicode
For Each, File In FileArray
Offset += StrPut(File.Path, pDrop + Offset, File.Len) * TCS
DllCall("GlobalUnlock", "Ptr", hDrop)
DllCall("SetClipboardData","UInt", 0x0F, "UPtr", hDrop) ; 0x0F = CF_HDROP
; Preferred DropEffect format ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If (DropEffect := DropEffects[DropEffect]) {
; Write Preferred DropEffect structure to clipboard to switch between copy/cut operations
; 0x42 = GMEM_MOVEABLE (0x02) | GMEM_ZEROINIT (0x40)
hMem := DllCall("GlobalAlloc", "UInt", 0x42, "UInt", 4, "UPtr")
pMem := DllCall("GlobalLock", "Ptr", hMem)
NumPut(DropEffect, pMem + 0, "UChar")
DllCall("GlobalUnlock", "Ptr", hMem)
DllCall("SetClipboardData", "UInt", PreferredDropEffect, "Ptr", hMem)
}
DllCall("CloseClipboard")
Return True
}
Return False
}