My direct selection tool does not highlight any object

[anneliesb31175879]

It is only specific to this document. It has happened before and I have had to create a new document. I don't know if it is happening when I have a clipping path on an object and I release it.

[Monika Gause]

what exactly is in the file?

[jane-e]

anneliesb31175879  wrote

I don't know if it is happening when I have a clipping path on an object and I release it.

Hi Annie,

Do you have a clipping path?

If you do, you can double-click with the Selection tool to edit it; then Escape when you are finished.

If not, what does the Properties panel say you have selected when you click with the Selection tool?

[Jacob Bugge]

Annelies,

How about Ctrl/Cmd+H which toggles View>Show/Hide Edges (when shown, View says Hide)?

That setting is document specific, unlike Show/Hide Bounding Box and Smart Guides (which makes highlights regardless of the other two).

[andrearellano]

This solved my problem!

[Jacob Bugge]

Andrea,

Different to the one Annelies had, your issue was undoubtedly caused by a keyboard mishit as follows: you were trying to do something which failed to happen, so you tried it again with the right keyboard hit and it worked, and then carried on without realizing that this something else had happened.

[mjbelt]

May sound too simple, but go to VIEW>Outline (CMD/CTRL +Y)

Select>Deselect All

Now try to Select "Direct Select Tool", and Select Clipping Path

*Keep in mind when you release Object>clipping path>release path Fill & Stroke is None.

[jane-e · Accepted solution]

anneliesb31175879  wrote

I don't know if it is happening when I have a clipping path on an object and I release it.

I just re-read this, Annie, and am now interpreting it as "I released a clipping path and now can't select the objects with the Direct Selection tool." Is that what is happening?

If so, then releasing the clipping path makes the top object the was the path invisible — no fill and no stroke. If you don't need it any more, you can delete it and then select the objects that were underneath it.

If you plan to make another clipping path after you make edits, then don't release it first. Instead double-click to go into isolation mode, make the edits, and press escape to exit.

Another tip is if you hold down Command (Control on Windows), you can click to go through the stacking order and select objects underneath.

If none of these replies work, show a screen shot of your Layers panel with the layer spun open.