AD: Lock/Combine Sub objects

[D.VE]

Hi,

is there any way to combine or lock grouped layers so that they are treated as one single object (and the underlying hierarchy is ignored), so that selecting them doesn't always open the full tree with some child object right away?

I often import objects from other tools. Some of them have objects nested on more than 10 levels.
If I click on an object to select it, it selects any subgroup and the whole tree expands...

-Merci

 

[walt.farrell]

6 minutes ago, D.VE said:

If I click on an object to select it,

Do you mean, when you click on it in the workspace?

If so, perhaps you have the wrong Auto-Select setting specified in the Context Toolbar for the Move Tool.

I can't provide a screenshot right now, but here's the Help: https://affinity.help/designer2/en-US.lproj/pages/ObjectControl/select.html

Quote

To control automatic selection behavior:

• On the Move Tool's context toolbar, choose one of the following options. These let you optionally select only objects or groups on the page, or just from the Layers panel (on-page selection is prevented).
  • On (default)—objects and groups can be selected on the page or Layers panel.
  • Off—objects and groups can be selected from the Layers panel only.
  • Objects—only objects can be selected on the page, while grouped items will be selected as if ungrouped; layers, groups and objects can be selected from the Layers panel.
  • Groups—only groups can be selected on the page; layers, groups and objects can be selected from the Layers panel.

 

[GarryP]

It sounds like you might have “Auto-select” set to something other than “Default” – see attached image taken while using the Move Tool and having something selected.

If that doesn’t fix it, it would help if we can have a copy of one of the things you are importing from another application so we can test it for ourselves, and a step-by-step workflow that we can follow.

[D.VE]

40 minutes ago, GarryP said:

have “Auto-select” set to something other than “Default”

I already tried different settings... 

My Workflow: 

- I'm using AD to design elements for my characters (Nose, Mouth, etc). They have layers: Charakter => Face => Eyes => Left => Eyeball

- have a JavaScript to arrange the elements to a complete character (that tool adds more layers somehow)

- I generate a SVG 

- Import that in AD to build a comic strip

 

I just want to move the actual character around, without touch tons of sub objects.

The only thing that works is rasterize the object, but that can't be the solution

 

 

49 minutes ago, GarryP said:

if we can have a copy of one of the things

 

https://www.kreuzweise.net/files/public/AD_example.afdesign

[GarryP]

Thanks for the extra information.

Unfortunately I can’t get to the file you have linked to (I just get a blank browser window).
Can you attach it to a forum post instead of giving a link?

[D.VE]

try again... Upload failed... sorry

[GarryP]

Can you attach the SVG instead of the ADESIGN document?

[D.VE]

I need it to work within the AD document, 

[GarryP]

You said that you were importing the SVG into a Designer document so you could manipulate it.
If you let us have the SVG we can import it ourselves, just as you would.

[D.VE]

I Have done that in the document already (characters). 

It's not an SVG Problem. Have this also with normal AD-Objects with many layers. 

[carl123]

1 hour ago, D.VE said:

Hi,

is there any way to combine or lock grouped layers so that they are treated as one single object (and the underlying hierarchy is ignored), so that selecting them doesn't always open the full tree with some child object right away?

I often import objects from other tools. Some of them have objects nested on more than 10 levels.
If I click on an object to select it, it selects any subgroup and the whole tree expands...

If you switch off "Auto-scroll" in the Layers panel hamburger menu that will also stop the layers auto-expanding.

Is this what you mean?

[D.VE]

9 minutes ago, Red Sands said:

Are you requesting that auto-scroll's expand group can be turned off on individual layers/groups so that expand only happens on the other layers where expand makes sense to you?

Yes... That sounds about right. 

I actually want the behaviour of a single one-layer-object without rasterizing 

[Old Bruce]

2 hours ago, D.VE said:

I often import objects from other tools. Some of them have objects nested on more than 10 levels.
If I click on an object to select it, it selects any subgroup and the whole tree expands...

Looking at your Layers panel your imported file has (for who knows why) single layers that are grouped several times. Can you not just select all the groups and then repeatedly ungroup them? Here on Mac OS 11.7 that keyboard shortcut is Shift + Command + G.