Layer showing - couple of problems (layer panel expanding, layer color)

[ripper]

Hi folks, trying to start with Aff Designer instead of Illustrator (which I have used last twenty years!).

Now when I click on an object, it is highlighted in the Layer panel. But the Layer always expands - so I see this one object (ie. circle, rectangle...)- but I would like just to see the whole layer as in Illustrator, without this expanding. How to achieve this? I know I can click collapse it manually, but this always has to be done so? Is there not a process how to do it automatically?

Also, when I assign a color to a layer in Illu all selected objects have the same color outline whereas here they are all still blue-outlined even when I change the object color. Is this some kind of a bug?

[Pšenda]

You mean Auto-Scroll?

[Hangman]

Hi @ripper and welcome to the forums,

As far as I know, there is no way to prevent the layer from auto-expanding when selecting an object within it but you can assign a keyboard shortcut to 'Collapse all layers in panel'...

To assign a different colour to a Layer you need to use Layers (with a Capital L), created by either clicking the 'Add Layer' icon at the bottom of the Layers Panel or by selecting 'New Layer' from the Layer menu.

You can then assign different colours to Layers (Capital L) by right-clicking the Layer in the Layers Panel and selecting 'Properties' from the context menu where you will be able to change the Layer colour which results in any objects within the respective layer adopting that colour for its bounding box.

[ripper]

Thanks folks... Autoscroll brings me to the one object, but I need just the whole Layer to highlight... Actually, when I select two objects "at once" (by rectangle-sellecting and not by clicking onto one and then another one), it is OK and I just see the layer highlighted... So this would be OK, but not when I select one and than another one. Seeing some small menu with a selected Layer (as in McNeel Rhino3D) would be a problem-solver for me, but I do not think such feature exists in Aff.

Aha... So the Layer color - I have clicked just on the colored parts at the bottom of the main menu (colored circles) and I did not use the property box. Now it works.

Another thing... I was always really unhappy that in Illu when you Copy&paste object from two different Layers they end on one same Layer. But Designer works the same?

[R C-R]

7 hours ago, ripper said:

Autoscroll brings me to the one object, but I need just the whole Layer to highlight...

What type of layer is the object in? Is it a type of container layer like a group layer or a capital L Layer, or something else?

[ripper]

So, I took an *.ai file with layers, saved in Illu as *.svg, opened it in AffD, and inserted Artboard. So the layers in *.ai converted to "Layers", I guess. When I create a new layer using "New Layer", it works the same way (it expands). 

I am an experienced user of Illu (and a somewhat professional user of Rhino), but this is my second day with AffD for me. And I am still thinking if it is worth it.  I still use an official CS5.5 Illu (which cost me quite a lot years ago) and I will definitely not go for subscription-based newer Adobe CC (not worth the money and against my basic principles!). But I understand that sooner or later the CS5.5 will be obsolete and even they work well with my Win10, they are unable to use most of my 64G RAM, etc. So I am searching for possibilities.

On a sidenote - is there a chance to copy from two different Layers at once (so it lands it two different Layers, not in one?). As I said, Illu is unable to do so and AffD works the same, so far. My Rhino does this differently and this is a big help quite often (I love the way Rhino3D is operated [the textline! the way how all the commands work and there are zillions of them! the macros and programmibility!], but its abilities stop with a basic vectors and I have to finish some things in Illu (or AffD, obviously).

[Pšenda]

14 hours ago, ripper said:

is there a chance to copy from two different Layers at once (so it lands it two different Layers, not in one?

I don't seem to understand the question because it's pretty obvious to me that two/more layers copied will be pasted as two/more separate layers. So I have no idea what the problem should be. Can you post a screenshot/video?

[lepr]

14 hours ago, ripper said:

is there a chance to copy from two different Layers at once (so it lands it two different Layers, not in one?)

No, the pasted objects are always together, with no option for replicating the parent Layers structure of the source objects.

Edited December 8, 2023 by lepr
re-worded the intended message

[ripper]

No, the pasted objects are always together, with no option for replicating the parent Layers structure of the source objects.

I have feared that... So no difference to Illu (where there is the same result) and what a difference to Rhino (where this works like a charm - you select objects from two different Layers, you Ctrl+C/V and voila! you have two other objects on two different Layers)

[Pšenda]

20 minutes ago, ripper said:

where this works like a charm - you select objects from two different Layers, you Ctrl+C/V and voila! you have two other objects on two different Layers

Try Ctrl+J.

[ripper]

Wow, this works! Would be nice if this worked across different files in AffD, but still this might save me some time over Illu.

Nevertheless, the autoexpand of the layers panel is just "a feature, not a bug"...?

[Pšenda]

3 hours ago, ripper said:

Nevertheless, the autoexpand of the layers panel is just "a feature, not a bug"...?

As I wrote in the first post, turning off Auto-Scroll works for me - layers panel don't expanded.

[ripper]

As I wrote in the first post, turning off Auto-Scroll works for me - layers panel don't expanded.

Well, they don't. But as my usual projects have >50 Layers, without Auto-Scroll I don't see which Layer I am at first glance... So there are two possibilities - without Auto-Scroll I have to scroll manually to see, which Layer is highlighted. And with A-S it expands. Bot possibilities are rather annoying. Am just missing the good old Illu behavior. I also understand there is no command to "send the selection to another layer"? There is only "send the selection to a new Layer"? So the only option to do so is to Ctrl+X, then select an object on another Layer or the Layer itself and Ctrl+V?

And don't get me wrong, I do understand that AffD is a rather "low-budget-option" as compared to Adobe Products. But I am comparing a rather antique CS5.5 I do use with AffD. Not some brand-new CC that Adobe offers right now. And I am somewhat afraid I end up with a less apt program than the one I have used for a zillion years already.

[Pšenda]

38 minutes ago, ripper said:

without Auto-Scroll I have to scroll manually to see, which Layer is highlighted.

Find in layers Panel in context menu, or Ctrl+K?