Didn't Transparency Masks set to clip used to show the clipping edge?

[JeanetteJeanette]

Or is just me?

As you can see by the screenshot, the smoke image is indeed getting clipped by the edge of the transparency mask (the edge is set to the edge of the artboard), but instead of seeing the clipping edge when selected, I see the edge of the image that is getting the mask.

This is a MASSIVE PAIN when I want to copy said transparent clipping mask and use smart guides to move it to another artboard... because I can't unless I give the whole transparent mask another clipping mask on top.  I don't remember having to do that to see the edge of a transparency mask.

Of course I've been digging through the Settings trying to find whatever checkbox it is that needs to be checked, but I haven't run across it yet!

Thanks, y'all, for your input,

–Jeanette.

[JeanetteJeanette]

Here's the screenshot I now understand that I should have stuck in with the text (I'm new at posting to the Community):

[Monika Gause]

Can you show the mask on top of the artwork (just release the mask) and then tell us how you want this to look?

[JeanetteJeanette]

Hi, Monica! Thanks for chiming in!  Here's what it looks like when I release the mask:

 

Here's how I remember it looking with the transparency mask engaged– with the bounding box/ thing to select being the mask, not the edges of the object being masked (as it is in the first screenshot in my first comment)

[Monika Gause]

So what you want is the violet smoke get more transparent/invisible at the bottom?

[JeanetteJeanette]

No ma'am.  This is only about being able to more easily select a transparency mask after I have created it.  I want the resulting bounding box to be the mask (the rectangular gradient) and not the smoke image.  That is how I remember it being, and I think it has recently changed/ is a bug.

[Monika Gause]

Ok, it's just about the default behaviour of the mask.

Since I usually do not want it to clip and have to permanently turn it off after making a mask, I'm pretty sure nothing has changed here, because I still have to permanently turn off the pesky clip option 🙂

Maybe a computer reboot or resetting of the preferences can make Illustrator behaveß