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Not exactly sure how to call this "feature" but I think in Illustrator it was called "Isolation Mode". 

 

What I want to be able to do is, for example, enter a group and drag a selection over a few elements without interfering with background elements. Without, obviously, having to lock them previously.

 

Is there something to accomplish this? It seems like a really basic feature and it's essential to my workflow. How do you guys deal with this type of situations?

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Hi Luís,

There's currently no isolation mode in Affinity Designer.

I'm not sure if this is what you're after but may i suggest you to use a layer instead of a group?

You can drag a selection over a few elements as you want. If you have Edit All Layers disabled in the Layer panel (icon on the bottom left of the panel) you can limit the edition to one specific layer without interfering with other objects from other layers. You can also move the entire layer (all objects as if they were a "group") if you select it (the layer) from the layers panel. 

Does this help?

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I see what you mean MEB, but it still feels very cumbersome. For me, it would make sense that once "inside" a group I'd be able to only select the elements on that group and then I'd have to double-click outside the group to exit.

 

Do you know if there's any planned feature that will make this easier?

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Currently, when you double click a group, you immediately select the shape below the cursor, inside that group. Then If you try to drag-select other shapes you are left outside the group. 

 

Basically the only thing missing is the ability to drag-select a bunch of shapes inside a group in the canvas (you can always select them individually in the layers panel) and the double-click to exit from it.

 

I'm not aware of any improvements regarding groups but there are still so many areas being worked, that i'm not surprised to see changes here. In any case this is a good request but only an Affinity developer can give you a definite answer.

Just give them some time, i'm sure they will step in and give you more info here. 

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  • 1 year later...

MEB, the problem is that when doing that, it will select all objects and not only the ones inside the group I'm currently at.

 

See this video: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/883485/affinity_designer_group_example.mp4

Personal website - http://www.luispedrofonseca.com

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+1

 

This is a real problem. If I need to select multiple elements from a group by making an area selection, I always select elements from other groups (or sometimes no element at all!)

The isolation mode is more than a feature, it's an essential tool. Selecting every element one by one in the layer box is very tiresome.

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I wish there was a way to bring more attention to this problem or at least some kind of indication this is being worked on or considered. I honestly don't know how people can work without it on semi-complex projects.

 

 

I think it is a matter of workflow...

Isolation Mode is a ux solution that Adobe inherited from Macromedia, being illustrator the only professional vector tool on OSX it is recognised as a "must" feature.

Personally I think it is fundamental in Illustrator, where layer palette is the awful same code since earliest versions.

In AD would be a plus, imho.

 

CMD+Click allows to pick a nested object, ALT+Click overlapping objects.

Moreover grouping/nesting and clipping are non linear operations, made simple stupid using Layer Studio.

Last but not least the "Find in layers" command. Very handy.

 

So isolation mode would be probably a nice addition, but I'd love to see other features as first in next versions.

The white dog, making tools for artists, illustrators and doodlers

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I think it is a matter of workflow...

Isolation Mode is a ux solution that Adobe inherited from Macromedia, being illustrator the only professional vector too on OSX it is recognised as a "must" feature.

Personally I think it is fundamental in Illustrator, where layer palette is the awful same code since earliest versions.

In AD would be a plus, imho.

 

CMD+Click allows to pick a nested object, ALT+Click overlapping objects.

Moreover grouping/nesting and clipping are non linear operations, made simple stupid using Layer Studio.

Last but not least the "Find in layers" command. Very handy.

 

So isolation mode would be probably a nice addition, but I'd love to see other features as first in next versions.

Thanks for your opinion.

 

Although, I'm not sure how the features you listed compensate for the lack of an "isolation mode".

 

On this video I posted above (https://dl.dropboxus...oup_example.mp4) how would you do to select the shapes from the group inside the drag area?

Personal website - http://www.luispedrofonseca.com

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I currently use the CMD+Shift+Click and CMD+Drag and work fine for this kind of needs.

 

Video

 

I tend to use layers and lock/unlock them to get rid of overlapping elements.

But probably there are scenarios I'm missing now...

 

As told you before, in Ai I'm accustomed to isolation mode too because there it is very needed.

There are some features I'd love to see before this one  :)

The white dog, making tools for artists, illustrators and doodlers

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Thanks for the video!

 

The scenario is simple: The ability to select elements of a group that have other overlapping elements outside of that group.

 

With the "isolation mode" in Illustrator you can achieve it in a few clicks. In AD, you have to manually lock the other groups/elements or manually pick the ones you want resulting in multiple clicks, depending on how many elements you have.

Personal website - http://www.luispedrofonseca.com

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Ah ok!

 

Maybe I would add 

 

 

 

The ability to select elements of a group that have other overlapping elements outside of that group...

 

...dragging your mouse.

 

Right, this is not yet possible.

But somehow this kind of minimalism in tools force me to work somehow "cleaner"...

I never used as much layers in vector tools as I'm doing in AD.

 

PS. Congratulation for your projects, the PRO Camera 2D seems stunning!

The white dog, making tools for artists, illustrators and doodlers

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Yeah, I also appreciate cleaner ways of working. But I think the "isolation mode" would just add to that. 

 

Any how, let's hope Affinity is listening and some day we might get it. :)

 

Glad you liked ProCamera2D (All icons and art is made with AD)! ;)

Personal website - http://www.luispedrofonseca.com

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  • 1 month later...

Working with layers is extremely tedious.

Working with groups and isolation mode is 10x faster.
 

You can edit a group in isolation mode with literally 1 double click. No need to use shortcuts, modifiers, or waste time in the layers panel.

I'm still amazed isolation mode is not in the roadmap. I've been using vector software since Corel Draw 4 (back in the 90s) and isolation mode is by far one of the most useful features ever introduced in the vector workflow.

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