hello, is it possible to simply swap an picture element with an picture link element and keep all the settings?

Hi I'm afraid not you will have to do the settings again, class name settings don't transfer from a plain old image to an image link.
However there is a little workaround you could try.
Put the image into a link container that way the image retains its settings and you give the href to the link container.

Try it and see

many thanks, I'll check this

I have exchanged them now ;-)