You can't select objects on a clipped layer?

[Stokestack]

Hi all.

I'm laying out a business card, using a template provided by the card vendor. I've moved the artwork to the layer that defines the card boundary, so it's clipped to the card's edges.

Now I can't select the objects to adjust their positions. What am I missing? Thanks!

[walt.farrell]

Perhaps you need to select it via the Layers panel, rather than by clicking on the object itself?

[Stokestack]

Thanks, but that would get very tedious very quickly! Not really a practical workaround for a design of any complexity. You'd have to type a name in for every little object you created and then scroll up and down looking for them. And what if you have a bunch of similar objects scattered about, for which informative naming isn't even possible?

[toltec]

8 minutes ago, Stokestack said:

What am I missing? 

One click 

Double click on it.

[Stokestack]

Thanks toltec, that works.

It seems a bit arbitrary; now we have a bunch of objects where some can be single-clicked and others have to be double-clicked. But I can see how this is a handy way to drill down through nested objects or groups.

[toltec]

32 minutes ago, Stokestack said:

Thanks toltec, that works.

It seems a bit arbitrary; now we have a bunch of objects where some can be single-clicked and others have to be double-clicked. But I can see how this is a handy way to drill down through nested objects or groups.

The double click is for nested objects, which is what you business card was. That is quite specific

You can press Alt and click to select layers hidden under other layers.

In the case below, Alt plus double click tunnelled down and selected the smaller red rectangle, even although it was hidden below the tear, in a group, which was masked by a bigger rectangle.

 

I'm not sure what else you would need ? Sometimes it is easier to open up and select inside the groups though or organise the layers into groups and so forth.

Actually, Designer does have another level of complexity by using container layers and you can choose to select objects in them, or not. 

 

[Stokestack]

Thanks. Actually, I did discover a problem with the current functionality: There's no apparent way to drag-select objects on a clipped layer (nested).

[toltec]

If you mean select them individually when nested ? No, I don't believe there is any way you could do that. After all, by making it a clipped and nested object you have deliberately  imposed editing restrictions on it by doing that.

Dragging seems to be a first level thing.

Alt drag is for the Eyedropper (sometimes), or I suppose logically that could have been used

[MikeW]

19 minutes ago, toltec said:

If you mean select them individually when nested ? No, I don't believe there is any way you could do that. After all, by making it a clipped and nested object you have deliberately  imposed editing restrictions on it by doing that.

Dragging seems to be a first level thing...

To bring CD into this discussion too, in CD the equivalent for clipping is called Powerclip. With a power-clipped object(s), one can move the contents or opt to edit them in isolation. This is very handy. A similar ability would make for a decent feature request.

2 hours ago, Stokestack said:

Hi all.

I'm laying out a business card, using a template provided by the card vendor. I've moved the artwork to the layer that defines the card boundary, so it's clipped to the card's edges...

I personally wouldn't utilize a template in the same manner. I would make a page the size required, create a layer, place the template on it and lock the layer. Then create another layer for your art. I see no reason to clip into the template.

[Stokestack]

Thanks for your response.

Corel Draw really nails the whole selection thing, in my experience.

Quote

making it a clipped and nested object you have deliberately  imposed editing restrictions on it by doing that.

Well, no. I wanted to clip it; and according to the documentation, nesting is how you do it.  There's no need for editing to be restricted.

 

56 minutes ago, MikeW said:

 

I personally wouldn't utilize a template in the same manner. I would make a page the size required, create a layer, place the template on it and lock the layer. Then create another layer for your art. I see no reason to clip into the template.

The template provides the card boundary, a "title-safe" region within it, and the bleed area outside of it. Thus, clipping to the card boundary is a good way to preview the result without the bleed area.

Also, the vendor requests that customers use the template with layers labeled in a certain way.

[MikeW]

Yeah. I've used templates before. I use the margins for the safe area and otherwise use the template for bleed amount.

It's easy to rename the layer structure to that of their requirements. 

It's not my first rodeo.

[MikeW]

I started with CD at version 1.2. There was a time most of what we like in CD didn't exist. It's no different for the youngster AD. It will acquire more work-flow improvements and capabilities.

It may not get there fast enough for my liking, but it'll get there.

[firstdefence]

Or change to Outline View Mode and click on the outline of the object you want to select.

[R C-R]

11 hours ago, Stokestack said:

Thanks, but that would get very tedious very quickly! Not really a practical workaround for a design of any complexity. You'd have to type a name in for every little object you created and then scroll up and down looking for them.

There is an 'auto-scroll' option on the Layers panel in the Mac version & a similar one in Preferences > User Interface. Enable that & you will not need to scroll manually. Naming major parent layers is a good habit to get into for several reasons, but you don't have to name every child layer unless you want to.