I think you might have to do this through scripting. Below is one example
Names Default To Here(1);
dt = open("$SAMPLE_DATA/Big Class.jmp");
dt2 = Open("$SAMPLE_DATA/Big Class Families.jmp");
// create a column groups
dt2 << Group Columns("Stats1", {:age, :sex});
dt2 << Group Columns("Stats2", {:height, :weight});
dt2 << Group Columns("Stats3", {:sports, :countries visited});
// Get groups from dt2
colgroups = dt2 << Get Column Groups Names;
groups = Associative Array();
For Each({groupname}, colgroups,
groups[groupname] = dt2 << Get Column Group(groupname);
);
dt << Update(
With(dt2),
Match Columns(:name = :name)
);
Close(dt2, no save);
// add groups back
For Each({{groupname, groupcols}}, groups,
dt << Group Columns(groupname, groupcols);
);
-Jarmo