How to select layers on each artwork not all artboard

[Arysa]

Hello, I seperate layers on each artboard. However all layers are selected, I press ctrl+a on one artboard. Can ad seperate layers of color as ai? 

[thomaso]

In ADesigner the Layers Panel always contains + shows all artboards existing in a document, so the layers panel treats the document as 1 large area, just visually separated into artboard layers, according to the artboard rectangles in the document window.

I might misunderstand your goal, but to me – even without having any object selected on canvas – only the layers of that artboard become selected with "Select All" which is currently selected or contains a recently selected object. Note the UI can show three slightly different colors for an artboard selection state: gray / dimmed blue / obvious blue. (blue, or whatever color you have set as selection color in your OS). I am not able to have none selected + to see all Artboard layers colored gray in the layers panel) – This is in macOS, possibly it works different in Windows?

If it's about coloring artboard layers you can right-click on a (Artboard-) layer and choose a color from the bottom of the context menu. Applied to an Artboard layer it will show a colored mark on its containing layers, too.

In case you want to be able to exclude artboards from their appearance in the layers panel, you might like to add your request to this thread:

 

[Arysa]

Thanks for your guidance.

[thomaso]

Actually I am not able to achieve the appearance of your screenshot. Instead ...
– With "Select All", Cmd-A and/or with Move-Tool-dragging: I see the object selection for 1 (current) artboard only.
– With selection of all layers within the Layers Panel: I see the selection rectangle around all artboard rectangles but not limited to heir containing objects only.

So again I wonder if there is difference between macOS and Windows. Maybe a forums Windows user will shed more light ...