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9

Illustrator randomly selects unrelated objects

Explorer ,
Feb 05, 2013 Feb 05, 2013

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About once  a day, when I click on an object with the direct selection tool, the bounding box will be way larger than it should, implying another object on another artboard is included in the selection.

This happens when the object I am selecting is NOT grouped with anything else. Moreover, is seems buggy because the mystery object doesnt have its "edges" visible the way it would if it were legitimately selected.

I can deselect all, but then anything I click on, the selection's bounding box is expanded to include the mystery object. The only way I have found to deal with it is to drag a corner of the bounding box, then undo, and then click off again. Then Voila! I am able to select my object (or any other) without the mystery selection happening.

I use clipping masks a lot, as well as many artboards, and have wondered if it's related to this, as the mystery objects are sometimes masked images, and often on another artboard. However, the mystery objects are not always masked.

Anyone else having this weird problem??

I had it with CS5, and hoped it would go away with CS6, but it has not.

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correct answers 3 Correct answers

New Here , Aug 04, 2017 Aug 04, 2017

Select All (Command+A) ---> click on random object ---> then click on random area outside the artboard

Did it work for you?

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New Here , Sep 08, 2022 Sep 08, 2022

I have also just had this issue in what appears now to be an 8-year-old issue.

(I'm no Illustrator expert btw).

I solved it... through luck.

In my case, the box was linked (somehow) to a 2-letter text box which I had moved to another layer and then hidden. Somehow this 'shadow' from the text box was left behind. I didn't see a clipping mask in the layers box. When I selected it (or more normally I selected 'off' a different object) this item was left behind.

My suggestion is therefore: 

Select EVERYT

...

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New Here , Aug 18, 2023 Aug 18, 2023

OMG it was the guides!!! I had like 20 invisible ones causing problems. You saved me so much time and frustration.

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Adobe
replies 132 Replies 132
Community Beginner ,
May 11, 2016 May 11, 2016

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It's a software bug, not something that can be captured in a file or that can be fixed by the user.

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Engaged ,
May 11, 2016 May 11, 2016

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Yes, I realize it's a bug. I don't intend to rewrite Illustrator to fix it.

But are you saying that when it occurs in a file, it does not recur in the same place when you repeat your actions? That is, let's say I have a file that I've just opened, and I select something, and the buggy selection problem occurs. If I were to close the file and reopen it, and do exactly the same thing, the buggy selection might not occur the second time around?

In other words, is this bug repeatable? Or is it more prevalent in certain files and less in other files?

The only way Adobe can track down the cause is if they can replicate the situation. AllI am offering to do is help define the conditions when it occurs so that a very precise bug report can be filed. If it's entirely random, then we're doomed.

Allen

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Community Beginner ,
May 11, 2016 May 11, 2016

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It's possible that you can somehow repeat the bug. Essentially all you have to do is work in Illustrator on something where there also is a clipping mask (anywhere) in your document. It doesn't happen immediately, which is why I hesitate to say that it's repeatable, but without fail if you work on a project that has a clipping mask, it will occur. Now, if you save and close Illustrator, reopen it the problem will be gone. However, if you continue to work in the file it will appear again. You repeat this until you want to throw you computer out the window.

There is no way, absolutely no way, that Adobe are unaware of this bug. Like I said before, I talk to colleagues and peers about it all the time, it's a very common bug.

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Engaged ,
May 12, 2016 May 12, 2016

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Thanks for the description. (I realize a few dozen people have also described it, but some of the issues people have brought up aren't exactly this one.) I didn't mean to imply that I think Adobe doesn't know about it, but I'm hoping I can do some research that might help narrow it down. I have no idea why it's still a problem, but it seems worth investigating, especially since I've never experienced it. Since it seems to require clipping masks, which I don't use terribly often, then knowing that saves me a lot of time trying to produce it. As a former developer, I can say that seemingly tiny details can be very significant in tracking down a bug. Knowing that it disappears when a doc is re-opened tells me that there is probably an initialization routine which cleans it up, and that could tell the programmers something about where to look. If it also disappears when the spurious selection is deselected via the Layers panel, that is also a clue. So all I want is to define all the necessary conditions, and a precise definition of the symptoms, and then I'll get that to somebody at Adobe who can push it forward.

I'll start by trying to make it happen on my system. One other question would be important to know -- does this seem to be happening more on one platform than another? Is it happening on both Wintel and Mac, or just one?

Thanks,

Allen

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New Here ,
Aug 25, 2016 Aug 25, 2016

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I have the same problem. I am on CC on a mac at home and on a PC at work and having the same problems at both places. When I select one object to resize, it randomly groups another object in there, and the only way to get it to deselect is to go ahead and resize, then push Undo, and then the original object magically appears selected on its own. This occurs many times a day, everyday.

The only thing I can think of is perhaps its the WACOM tablet? I have the latest drivers, but maybe they're still not caught up?

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Explorer ,
Aug 25, 2016 Aug 25, 2016

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Interesting idea - it hasn't been happening to me in a while now, mainly I haven't been Illustratoring much recently, but I do use a Wacom...

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Explorer ,
Sep 06, 2016 Sep 06, 2016

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Nope, it's not the Wacom. I don't use one, but this bug keeps returning and is frustrating me for years.

I keep wondering who's responsible for the QC at Adobe. The Software is flooded with bugs …

YMKD7RQ_700wa_0.gif

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Community Beginner ,
Nov 10, 2016 Nov 10, 2016

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Just started using version 21.0.0, still there.

I'm so used to it I just figure the AI team doesn't have to worry about fixing it. Thanks guys

The work around I've found is to select the object that the bounding box is mistakenly stuck to, hide it, make a new object, delete it then unhide all.

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New Here ,
Jul 12, 2015 Jul 12, 2015

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I'm having this problem too. Adobe, please fix this. It's happened across Illustrator versions for years now. It's incredibly irritating, as almost every one of my web projects involves a clipping mask at some stage.

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New Here ,
Jul 28, 2015 Jul 28, 2015

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Another case of the same here. Came looking to see if there's a fix as I'm on deadline and it's wasting valuable time that I don't have. So pleased adobe chimed into this discussion to help their customers.....

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New Here ,
Aug 05, 2015 Aug 05, 2015

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Having the same problem on CC.

I found a way around the problem.

Save the file you are working on, quit illustrator, and reopen your ai file.

Things seem to go back to normal after this.

Hope that helps you all.

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New Here ,
Aug 05, 2015 Aug 05, 2015

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Unfortunately this happens to me repeatedly. Saving, closing, and restarting illustrator every 10 minutes isn't exactly a workaround when you're in illustrator 8+ hours a day.

Sent from my iPad

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New Here ,
Sep 03, 2015 Sep 03, 2015

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I've had this same problem since CS2.  And every version since, up to CC..  It just happened to me in CC, which led me to this forum where nothing has been solved....

Still no solution/bug fix Adobe?

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Community Beginner ,
Oct 19, 2015 Oct 19, 2015

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Same problem. Really really REALLY annoying.  Randomly selects non-existing objects. Happens on CS6 at work and CC at home.

seriously adobe...wtf is wrong with your quality check now before you release new programs. You guys have really lost your shit and its getting more and more obvious with every "release" if that's what you wanna call it.

Shit quality programming.

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Explorer ,
Oct 23, 2015 Oct 23, 2015

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I often get this too. However, whatever ghost selection there is appears to be unactionable. For example, using the rotate tool only rotates the object I actually selected and not the "extra bits" Illustrator has selected off to the right or left.

Anyhow a workaround. Open the layers panel and click the little circle beside the active layer. This stops it straight away for me in CC 2015 on El Capitan.

Hope that helps!

Screen Shot 2015-10-23 at 3.41.39 p.m..png

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Participant ,
Feb 06, 2016 Feb 06, 2016

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I've been having this glitch here and there forever, but lately it has been more and more present.  Just another little annoying thing.

I tried messing around with several of the suggested fixes here.  The only thing that seemed to have an effect was aworthycause's comment.  I could have all layers locked except one, say a "green" layer.  When I selected something on the green layer, it would also include a ghost selection on a locked "red" layer. No anchor points or lines or clipping masks, nothing.  It makes no sense.  I found the red layer, unlocked it, and messed around with the layer select toggle circle.  It finally lost the ghost selection.  Hopefully, there is a better solution.

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New Here ,
Feb 11, 2016 Feb 11, 2016

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Thank you for this tip. Bug has been recurring for at least a year. I usually save/close/open to fix it, but this is much quicker.

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 12, 2016 Apr 12, 2016

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This bug has been in Illustration for at least 9 years and it's a bug that Adobe for unknown reasons seemingly have no interest in solving. I refuse to believe that this is just something that can't be fixed, and anyone who works extensively in Illustrator are aware of the issue. I talk to colleagues and peers about it all the time. Yet, every time I've bought a new version of Illustrator, or now every time when Creative Cloud issues a new version, there's still this bug. Who knows how many versions it's gone through. But that's Adobe for you I guess.

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New Here ,
Jun 01, 2016 Jun 01, 2016

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Hi there, I've been facing this kind of problem too. When I try to select one object, another object will simply included into the selection.
I tried click on the blank area to deselect everything, but that particular object is still being highlighted.

However recently, I accidentally discovered a non-conventional method.

Whenever an unwanted object being automatically included into a selection, simply hit A to activate sub select tool, then hold Shift key and select another object nearby, then hit space bar a few times. Then click on the blank area to see if that unwanted object is being deselected. Keep repeating, it usually takes me two time to deselect the unwanted object.

This might not be the correct method but it only took me a few seconds to work. It's better than restarting the whole AI all over again.

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Explorer ,
Jun 09, 2016 Jun 09, 2016

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same problems here. adobe do something!!

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Engaged ,
Jun 11, 2016 Jun 11, 2016

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Getting this issue also. Is there anything we can provide to hep diagnose this?

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Engaged ,
Jun 11, 2016 Jun 11, 2016

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Yes -- I'm trying to find out more specifics, such as whether it happens on both Macs and Wintel machines. If it's confined to one platform, that would be very helpful to know.

It would also be helpful to know if it happens in files which have never contained any clipping masks. Or if there is any other commonality among files or systems in which the problem occurs.

It's likely to get fixed much faster if we can provide Adobe with as much as possible of this kind of information. Since some of us have experienced the problem for years, and others have never experienced it, there should be some important clues from comparing documents, workflows, platforms, etc.

Allen

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Engaged ,
Jun 11, 2016 Jun 11, 2016

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I'm on mac. Typically multiple screens. Next time it happens ill check for clipping masks

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Engaged ,
Jun 11, 2016 Jun 11, 2016

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Thanks. Now hopefully someone with the same problem on a Wintel box will confirm it's happening there, too. (I'm on Wintel, so I can't do any debugging if it's only on Macs. I suspect it's on both, but I don't have time to survey the prior msgs.)

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Enthusiast ,
Jun 11, 2016 Jun 11, 2016

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i've had this issue for years.

my work around:

several people have offered a workaround so here is mine. when the bug happens. select all and deselect using the deselect command from the menu bar. menu/select/deselect/

i actually made it and action so i can do it with a single key press.

fix it adobe!

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