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Inspiring
June 22, 2018
Answered

Feature Request- Is it possible to add drop shadow to grouped element in XD?

  • June 22, 2018
  • 4 replies
  • 11179 views

I have this row with 5 white boxes where each box have a 1 px border. I grouped all boxes to add a drop shadow to the shape but it's not possible cause there are no shadow available in the properties panel. The only way to make the shadow properties to appear is to double click one of the rows in my group, I'm then able to add shadow to that single element, but that's not what I want. I want the shadow to be applied to the whole list as one element. Is this a bug? Why can't I add a shadow to a grouped element?

 

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Atul_Saini

Perrybus, thanks for clarifying the situation, now I understand your workflow. We'll pass on the feedback to the product team.

4 replies

New Participant
February 27, 2020

2 years have passed, still no such function

New Participant
May 29, 2020

I've noticed this issue as well, but it occurs randomly. When it does, I've found one workaround.

  1. Copy the group and paste it into an Illustrator document.
  2. Select your group and create a Compound path (Command/Ctrl-8), making sure the "USe Even-Odd Fill Rule" box is highlighted in the Attributes panel (Window > Attributes—it's the button on the far right that looks like a square with a hole in it).
  3. Then cut the group out of Illustrator and paste it back into XD.
  4. In XD, your group now allows you to create a drop shadow. (At least it did for me.)
New Participant
October 7, 2020

It's even easier than this.

  1. Copy entire group and paste it overtop.
  2. Select each individual shape.
  3. Right click, and select 'Path' then select 'Add' (or press Ctrl+Alt+U)
  4. Move the now single shape behind the main grouping and apply a drop shadow to your liking.

 

I realize this is a workaround, and it should be able to be applied to groups or entire components, but this is the fix I've used for now. It gets a little janky if you are trying to do hover effects with the drop shadow affected, is you'd basically need do it as a state via a click rather than hover to show it to a client.

New Participant
November 6, 2019

i want to make it also. to put shadown in a grouped elements.

Atul_Saini
Community Manager
Community Manager
June 22, 2018

Hi Perrybus,

In addition to what Ankush has suggested, I would like to inform you that I have tried to replicate what your workflow and I was able to drop shadow to all the elements at once. Please see the screenshot and share if that's what you are looking for.

To be able to drop shadow to all the elements at once, here is what I have done.

1. Grouped the elements.

2. Selected all the elements one by one and applied shadow.

<Note:- step 2 works regardless of grouping the elements.>

Hope this helps, please feel free to update this discussion in case you need further assistance.

Thanks.

Atul_Saini

perrybrusAuthor
Inspiring
June 22, 2018

Your not showing a grouped element with a drop shadow. Your showing drop shadow applied to single boxes in the grouped element applied at once. It's not possible to add shadow to the grouped element as ONE. The reason I group something is so that I can apply an effect to the whole shape and not just the single rows in the element. When you group several elements to one and select it the drop shadow properties is not available in the property panel. This makes it impossible to for instance design a drop down menu with a global drop shadow applied to it. It's only possible to apply the drop shadow to the single rows and that's not what I'm after. The WHOLE SHAPE I have grouped needs to be styled with a drop shadow - not single rows.

New Participant
July 24, 2019

Perrybus, thanks for clarifying the situation, now I understand your workflow. We'll pass on the feedback to the product team.


So the year has past. Will this "feature" be released?

ankushr40215001
Inspiring
June 22, 2018

Hey perrybus,

As you have mentioned that you wish to be able to apply drop shadow to a combination of grouped elements, I don't see it as a bug, rather it a missing feature.

Thanks for bringing it into our notice. The Adobe User Voice website https://adobexd.uservoice.com is where Adobe accepts new features requests.

I don't any such feature requested before I suggest you to create a new request and update it with your comments and also get it upvoted for climbing up the  priority list.

Hope this helps.

Thanks!

Ankush

perrybrusAuthor
Inspiring
June 22, 2018

This is rather a must in my mind. Not a nice to have feature. Do we really have to post to that forum for each obvious thing? I hope Adobe would use a little common sense and implement stuff that is rather obvious in a design and layout program. If adding requests for everything is the way XD engineers add features then we will see very little progress in a very long time period. Does a car need wheels?!