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J
Jajojomo
Known Participant
January 25, 2023
Question

Direct Select Tool Not Working in Illustrator 27.0.1

  • January 25, 2023
  • 3 replies
  • 1319 views

Hi I'm so frustrated using Illustrator as the simplest tasks seen to be above my brainpower.  I can't get the direct select tool to work. Ive gone into 'View' and made sure 'show corners', 'show edges' are on. I'm doing an online course and have fallen at the first hurdle. Im using a logitec mouse if that makes a difference.Do you have any advice?  Thank you.

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3 replies

Met1
Met1
Legend
January 25, 2023

Not much progress since: https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/i-hate-illustrator-struggling-to-do-even-simple-tasks-with-illustrator-on-mac-is-a-mouse-the-key/m-p/12792128#M312338

Is your LogiTec mouse supported by Mac?

https://www.macrumors.com/2022/09/28/logitech-launches-new-mac-mice-keyboards/#:~:text=Logitech%20today%20announced%20the%20launch,been%20optimized%20for%20the%20Mac.

I don't use either so you'll have to do some research.

J
JajojomoAuthor
Known Participant
January 25, 2023

Thank you Met1 for your comments and yes you're correct, I not made much progress since I last reached out to the community 8 months ago.  I am a struggling beginner and due to time contstraints I had to pay professionals to do the work I required. I sadly have limits on the time I have available to learn and practice and I now trying again. Perhaps I am a slow learner, I have spent most of the week on tutorials and have a session booked with a professional which I hope will help. There are no incompatability issues with my Logitech and mac as far as I can see.  Thank you.

Imaginerie
Community Expert
ImaginerieCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 25, 2023

Hello Janet,

Silly question, but what happens when you are trying to select something? Do you get an error message, or does it just doesn't select anything? Can you post a screenshot of what you get?

 

In case you are on a weird setting/option of the direct selection tool (the white arrow) or the standard selection tool (the black one), check the help files and see what's in there.

Just a tip: the way the tool behaves is contextual, meaning if you hover over different areas of your shape, you get different tool behaviours (which are explained in the link above) and sometimes it can cause confusion.

    J
    JajojomoAuthor
    Known Participant
    January 25, 2023

    Hi. i had to use an existing ai file the tutor created, from AI 2020.  I was able to measure a distance and is attached is her telling us to use the DS tool to draw the line. ( prior to this we created an additional layer and the first layer was locked.  when I use DS key I see nothing.  I did reboot thanks for your help

    Imaginerie
    Community Expert
    ImaginerieCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    January 25, 2023

    Silly question again, does it happen with a shape you create yourslef (in a new file)

    See if you can select one anchor point on a circle for example, or create a simple new path with the pen tool and try to select the nodes individually. Is it the same result?

    Do you have any trouble with the normal selection tool? Any other tool? (so we can put aside any mouse problem)

    Monika Gause
    Community Expert
    Monika GauseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    January 25, 2023

    Could you perhaps tell us what exactly is not working? What you doing step by step and where do you get stuck?

      J
      JajojomoAuthor
      Known Participant
      January 25, 2023

      Hi Monika, absoltely nothing happens at all! I put more details in my other response.  I had a prior issue with the cut tool not working for me either, I 'm sure the issue is me. Thank you for your help

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