Selecting multiple objects in group

[sldx]

I would really like some sort of "isolation" mode for groups, similar to other 2D, 3D & video apps. Basically when I double click to enter a group, if I want to box-select a number of items from that group, there's no way to do it.

 

 

For example: I do a lot of UI work, and keep things in groups for organization and to easily move things around. But if I want to rearrange the contents of a group, I have to do a lot of work:

- either dbl-click and shift-select A LOT, but it requires 10+ clicks for a single selection, which is really not ideal. 

- or lock everything else, but that requires a lot of hunting inside the layers pane, especially since we can't directly select a locked object on the canvas.

- use layers instead of groups, in conjunction with the Edit All Layers button (thx Meb!), but again that involves a lot of layer-pane clicking on various layers. Plus I loose the grouping functionality, or keep a group in a layer then it gets a bit too much.

 

So yeah, the problem is that at the moment, in complex layouts, there's a lot of layer hunting in the palette no matter what I do. 

 

 

To solve all this, the best solution (in my view) is similar to how other apps work: when inside a group, a box-select only selects objects from that group.  When you want to "exit" a group, just click once outside (which is the current behaviour too).

I feel this fits perfectly with the existing workflow for object selection inside groups: dbl-click to enter a group, then select object from that group freely. The only addition is to have the box-selection constrained to the current group,  until I click outside.

 

I guess other methods could work too, like holding down a modifier key to constrain the selection to the current group, but it feels like more work when a dbl-click is enough. 

 

thx!

[Crispin_]

Been lurking for a while but made an account just to confirm this. It's one of the things that bugs me the most, and in Sketch too. Although in Sketch the problem is limited, because symbols are opened in "isolation" (in Symbols), so only groups have this issue. And people tend to have a lot of symbols, coz they rock. 

 

Keeping my fingers crossed 

[MattP]

I'll certainly think this one through - it sounds entirely reasonable at present! Thanks guys!

[Aammppaa]

I like this way of working too (is familiar to me from SketchUp and Xara) - it is quick & intuitive.

 

In SketchUp everything outside the group is made translucent, which is nice as you can make changes within the group and still have a visual reference to the overall document. Xara essentially opens the group as if it were its own file, meaning you loose sight of the rest of your objects, and it is slightly unintuitive to 'Save' the group to return to your original document.

[Bri-Toon]

23 hours ago, sldx said:

a box-select only selects objects from that group.

 

I am up for this too, but personally, I would like something like this that isolates clipped objects. With both grouped and clipped objects, you can hold Cmd for Mac or Ctrl for Windows, and select anything inside. Then without having to hold down a key again, you can select any curve in that group/clip. The disadvantage of clipping that can easily be done with groups is that you cannot create a selection bounding box. When you click and drag, you end up selecting the object other objects are clipped in.