Convert Shape from Library into editable Path

[BenterA]

Hi all, 
i have created a shape (Arrow Head) and dragged it into my Library, so i can reuse it in several Artboards and quickly change the "instances" by editing the original shape. No i have to merge / edit some shapes (including those instances), but i couldn`t find a way to convert the instanced shape into a path or make it editable?

Thanks in advance for any help / advice!

[Ton Frederiks]

If you just drag an item rom the library you create a link to that library item.

If Alt-Drag an item from the library you create an editable item, but the link is gone.

[BenterA]

Is there still a way to somehow convert the linked library item to make it editable/unique? I use like hundreds of "instances", so redoing it all might not be the favored solution 🙂 

[Monika Gause]

Are you referring to outlining the stroke?

Object > Path > Outline stroke

[BenterA]

Hi Monika. Thank you. But no 🙂 What i would have to do is for example merge several objects into one shape for export. But this seems to be impossible with the linked items from the library. I somehow need to convert them to access the path / shape. 

[Ton Frederiks]

The linked Library item can be changed by double clicking  the Item in in the library.

When changed and saved you will change it in all places where it is placed (but you need to open those files to trigger the change). When they are not linked, they become unique items.

[BenterA]

That`s excatly my problem 🙂 I don`t want to make changes "globally" by changing the source item.  Let`s say i have 100 Arrows of different shapes / directions. But they all share the same source Arrow Head from the library (so i have 100 elements linked to that one item). No i have to export every arrow seperately as one single shape (therefore i have to merge the Arrow "Body" with the Arrow Head). Unfortunately ìt seems i can not merge those linked / instanced items with other shapes, so i am looking for a way to convert them / somehow remove the link to make them unique / editable.

[Ton Frederiks]

See my answer about embedding. You can embed them using the Control, Links or Properties panel. But you will need to ungroup and get rid of the empty clipping masks

[BenterA]

Thanks!  This way i can access the path now and merge it with other shapes. Great. Thank you for your help!

[Ton Frederiks]

Good to hear that helped.

[Ton Frederiks · Accepted solution]

After placing a linked library item, you can still use the embed option to get editable paths.

Embedding a linked item after placing is different from Alt-dragging the item from the library.

Alt-dragging places the original file, while embedding a linked item embeds a pdf version of the file with clipping masks as a result.