Affinity Designer > how to release many objects from layer mask?

[Ideagonal]

Hello, I have a layer masking a lot of objects, I can select all these objects and move them out in the layers panel. But I have to scroll through them and be sure selection is correct. Is there a method to select the masking (vector not pixel) layer and release the objects masked?

[walt.farrell]

3 hours ago, Ideagonal said:

Is there a method to select the masking (vector not pixel) layer and release the objects masked?

If you select that mask layer, and right-click, do you have a Release action available?

[Ideagonal]

Yes, but thing is, it was a graphic copy-pasted from publisher and what I got is a picture frame, which is a Publisher thing, not a Designer thing, so I cannot unmask or release it. Additionally is a document imported from inDesign to Publisher with this graphic; so, a little messy. See screenshot, even the layer icon is not from Designer:

[KarlLegion]

4 hours ago, Ideagonal said:

picture frame, which is a Publisher thing, not a Designer thing, so I cannot unmask or release it.

I think the picture frame is not the cause of your the problem. If that was not a picture frame but other objects instead, when you right click on the mother object, the "release" would still be grey out. That "release" is just for right-clicking the child objects for them to be released from their mother. (I don't know why they don't add a "release all children" command from the mother, just like the "ungroup" command🤨)

16 hours ago, Ideagonal said:

I can select all these objects and move them out in the layers panel. But I have to scroll through them and be sure selection is correct.

I'm trying to understand. You said "select all these objects and move them out", then I don't see how it's difficult to make sure selection is correct. Even there're hundreds of child objects, you can select the first one then shift+click the last one. All will be selected. If I misunderstand you, my apology.

[Ideagonal]

The Release command from Layers Panel do not release the children of this picture frame. There is a strange behaviour if the picture frame is inside an Artboard it moves it out of the artboard, when it is outside an artboard the Release command is not available. Screen recording attached.

3 hours ago, KarlLegion said:

Even there're hundreds of child objects, you can select the first one then shift+click the last one.

I can do that but it is not very fast and I need to be very carefully when I have many objects like this, with similar appearance, with many children with similar appearance as well. I was looking for a quick command on the parent object: right click release on 1 object and it is done.

[Ideagonal]

Well, I got this Release command from layers panel all wrong. It seems that you need to apply it on a children in order to release it from its parent, so in the screen record above releases the object from the artboard and moves it out of it, then the object is child of no other object so there is no release command.

There is no reference in Help to this Release command.

 

[KarlLegion]

Quote

I got this Release command from layers panel all wrong.

Exactly. That's why I said:

Quote

when you right click on the mother object, the "release" would still be grey out. That "release" is just for right-clicking the child objects for them to be released from their mother

😉

Now, I see what's the problem here: You didn't expand the parent layer ("Parent" should be the proper term instead of "mother". Sexual neutral😉) When you see and arrow ">" In front of the thumbnail (along with the layer type icon), it means there are something inside it. To expand it do any of the following:

1. click on the layer type icon (the icon in front of the thumbnail (along with the">")
2. right-click the parent then choose "expand selection")
3. click  a child with node tool from the canvas/artboard
4. double-click a child with move tool from the canvas/artboard

After doing so, do what I said from the layer panel:

11 hours ago, KarlLegion said:

select the first one then shift+click the last one

For

7 hours ago, Ideagonal said:

it is not very fast and I need to be very carefully when I have many objects like this

I think what you're doing here, was trying to select all the children from the canvas/artboard instead of from the layer panel... FYI, in case you really feel need to do by this way, the best way is to hide other objects first (to do so, the easiest way is "select your parent > ctrl + H"), then select all children by firstly select at least 1 child, then use the move tool to drag across the canvas/artboard (node tool can't drag to choose children).

Hope this help.😉

[KarlLegion]

On 12/8/2022 at 6:53 AM, Ideagonal said:

I have a layer masking a lot of objects

FIY, technically, it's not masking. Looking at your screenshot and recording, it's actually Clipping - children clipped to a parent. (No objects can be shown masked by an empty picture frame, because it has no pixel value, so the mask would mask everything under it.) The clipped parent is not a mask. The difference is, clipped parents can show their pixels while masks don't . Also, you can clip multiple objects to a parent for the purpose of being masked, but for the masking, it can only mask one object, or you can group them to mask multiple. In contrast, you can use a group as a mask but can't use a group as a clipped parent. (To make it easy to understand, a clipped parent is just like an artboard.)

For the help topic of the clipping method you are using, search "clipping layer" from the in-app help. Or check this out (it's the same for Designer)