Duplicating symbols?

[CP16]

I’ve just discovered symbols in Designer. I’m trying to set up a vector drawing to use as a background. I thought I’d be able to insert the symbol and then duplicate all the way across and down, but the duplicated symbols don’t update when I change the source symbol. Only the symbols that I insert reflect any changes I make to the source. 

Also, is there a way to set a default size for a symbol when inserting it? My symbol source is 200x200, but when I insert it, it is smaller and not square. I need 100 of these to fill the space, and it’s getting tedious inserting one by one and resizing, pius moving.

I know I can export it and use it as a fill, but I plan to have a handful of coordinating colorways, so I thought symbols would be a more efficient choice. 

[RM f/g]

In the layers panel, select a symbol and expand.

Select any or all of the objects within the symbol and change.

All symbols are updated instantly.

This doesn't work if you select the symbol itself (on the artboard or in the layers panel). Then only the selected symbol is changed.

I suspect that's what you're doing. As I did at first.

 

[CP16]

44 minutes ago, RM f/g said:

In the layers panel, select a symbol and expand.

Select any or all of the objects within the symbol and change.

All symbols are updated instantly.

This doesn't work if you select the symbol itself (on the artboard or in the layers panel). Then only the selected symbol is changed.

I suspect that's what you're doing. As I did at first.

 

Maybe I’m thinking about this wrong. I have one artboard that I’m using as the source/master copy. In that artboard, I have a rectangle, and in the rectangle, I have a group of vector lines. I selected the rectangle and added it as a symbol. Now the hierarchy is symbol > rectangle > group > line.

In another larger artboard, I insert the symbol from the symbol menu. <— is that the wrong way to do it?

After inserting, I place the symbol at 0,0 and resize. I’ve been doing this at the symbol level. Then I duplicate, again at the symbol level. <— is this where I should instead select the rectangle layer, rather than the symbol layer? (ETA: just tried this, and it did not work.) ETA2: Actually, duplicating a symbol doesn’t work as I expected. If I move one copy of the duplicate, it moves all of the duplicates as if they are a single unit . So I copy/paste instead, and then I can move them independently. But none of them update when I make changes.

If I then change the colors in my “source” artboard, only the first symbol, which I inserted, shows the change. 

[DM1]

2 hours ago, CP16 said:

In another larger artboard, I insert the symbol from the symbol menu. <— is that the wrong way to do it?

You can insert from studio, paste from copy, or duplicate. As long as the symbol object is selected and Synch is turned on in studio the symbols should remain linked. I used duplicate on first artboard and then copy paste on second artboard in this example.

[DM1]

3 hours ago, CP16 said:

Also, is there a way to set a default size for a symbol when inserting it? My symbol source is 200x200, but when I insert it, it is smaller and not square.

The example 100x50 stays same size when duplicated, and when inserted.

Resizing is a little different. Selecting the Symbol group folder in layer studio resizes the individual symbol. Selecting the individual layers under the group folder and resizing effects all symbols ( including the symbol studio version). I don’t know if that is a 'by design' or a bug?

[CP16]

Thanks for the help! I must be doing something wrong. Here’s what I’m seeing when I first try to duplicate the symbol (the original and the duplicate act as one; I can’t separate them). Then I copy/paste instead, but then changes to one don’t propogate to the other copies

 How do you get your taps to highlight in your videos?. 

[DM1]

1 minute ago, CP16 said:

How do you get your taps to highlight in your videos?. 

In AD settings there is an option to Show Touches🙂

[DM1]

5 minutes ago, CP16 said:

Then I copy/paste instead, but then changes to one don’t propogate to the other copies

If you are willing to upload the afdesign file I will have a look and see if I can determine what is happening.🙂

[CP16]

1 hour ago, DM1 said:

If you are willing to upload the afdesign file I will have a look and see if I can determine what is happening.🙂

I’ll create a version that I can upload. Thanks!

[CP16]

11 hours ago, DM1 said:

If you are willing to upload the afdesign file I will have a look and see if I can determine what is happening.🙂

I duplicated the file, deleted some proprietary elements, and now it’s all working. I think I figured out what the problem was. I have a background symbol1 and a foreground symbol2. Together, those form symbol3. After duplicating background symbol1 and moving it into x-y position, I also moved it to the lowest layer behind symbol2, which was nested under symbol3.

If I duplicate that instance, it misbehaves: both copies act as a single object, and any changes don’t propagate. 

But if I leave it in place, outside of symbol3, it’s fine. So I can duplicate and move to form the whole background (100 copies), then nest it under symbol3. 

Strange, but maybe working as designed? In any case, thank you for your help!