How to copy layer tree containing hidden layers? (Useful with Character Animator)

[alank99101739]

Doing google searches I can see whether to copy hidden layers or not has been a controversial topic. I don't care what the default is, but is there some way to select a tree of layers, groups, paths, etc and move/copy them, even when hidden?

In Adobe Character Animator, you build up a complex tree of layers and groups. The tree structure has meaning to Character Animator which it uses to animate the artwork. Hiding layers is also be important. For example, you can put in multiple mouth positions and you hide all the ones not currently in use. (Then there are masks and other things you do.)  But every time I want to move say the mouth (or copy to another illustrator file) I have to go through the document and unhide every hidden node, do the operation, then re-hide the nodes (and get them right). It is very error prone.

I would like a "select this whole tree including hidden nodes" command. A separate menu command under the "Select" menu is fine. It does not have to be the default behavior. Is this possible somehow today?

At present I cannot manually select any object that is hidden. It will only let me select visible items.  I could not find an option to do this either in preferences.

Or is there another way of doing the copy or move operations (or scale etc) so even the hidden ones are copied/transformed.

Thanks!

Alan

[Kurt Gold]

Which version of Illustrator are you using?

[alank99101739 · Accepted solution]

Well I'll be... I am using CC and it told me there was an update this morning so I installed it and now it selects all the nodes in the tree (hidden ones as well). Maybe that is what all the noise was about - changing the behavior. Its good for Character Animator usage, but I understand that could impact lots of others in negative ways...  I am (now) using 22.0.1 according to "About Illustrator".  But problem solved for me!

[Kurt Gold]

"… and now it selects all the nodes in the tree (hidden ones as well)."

That is right to some extent, but it has nothing to do with the update you mentioned and it only applies to objects inside main layer stacks.

As soon as you add (real) sublayers and hide them entirely, you cannot select the hidden ones by selecting the parent layers in the Layers palette (plus the objects inside the main layers). That used to be possible in earlier versions of Illustrator by targeting the parent layers (instead of just selecting them).

Unfortunately, there is no straightforward option to get the "old" behaviour. Therefore I would have suggested to use Layer Visibility variables to make various snapshots for specific visibility states. Luckily, that seems to not be required in your case.

[alank99101739]

Visibility Variables!  I did not know they existed!  Thanks, I am giving them a try - very interesting and certainly saves on the clicking things one by one! Thanks!