" To join, you must select two open endpoints." Popup.

[Guest]

Okay, this is frustrating. I kept getting the following error when I try to join two end points.

To join, you must select two open endpoints. If they are not on the same path, they cannot be on text paths nor inside graphs, and if both of them are grouped, they must be in the same group.

Here's what I have. Both paths are in the same group. I zoom to max and both ends are on top of each other. So, why am I kept getting this error message when trying to join them? I tried to Average and there is no error but yet the path is not closed.

Any suggestion is welcome.

[Harron_K_Appleman]

How are you selecting the two endpoints?

[Guest]

I use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to select both ends of the path. When both points are selected by having solid square, I then choose path/join, but it's not joining. By the way both points are on the exact X and Y location so there is no reason why I can't join them. I have done many times before but for some reason this time it does not work. Both of these paths are under one Group according to the Layer tab, and I make this selection and joining at the Group level, NOT the individual layer level.

[Guest]

While waiting for someone to answer my question, I did a little search and I found this tutorial:

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Illustrator/14.0/WSB6C210C6-7113-4e50-B176-EC789EAC18EEa.html

I looked over the section called "Join two endpoints" and on step 2, which it says, "Click the Connect Selected End Points button in the Control panel.", the Connect Selected End Points button is inactive. I can't click on it. What might have caused this?

[Guest]

Okay, I think I found something here. Since I convert this shape from Text (in my earlier post here), it has created a compound path. I've read on another forum that compound path cannot be joined, so, how do I get rid of compound path?

[Guest]

This is frustrating. I can't even release the compound path anymore. I click on the <Compound Path> layer and go into Object/Compound Path/ but the Compound Path is inactive or grayed out. Any suggestion?

[Guest · Accepted solution]

Never mind. I found my answer by myself. I have to right click on the path itself with the black arrow head and choose release compound path.

[Barbartist]

Yessss this is what i was looking for, i had to release compound path. Thanks!!

[alp74464026]

thank you! so precious!!!

[AndreaHall_]

It's simple. The two endpoints are too close together. Move them apart slightly, then select them and they will join okay.

http://www.andreahall.co.uik

[JETalmage]

This thread is over 2.5 years old. The problem is moot in current version, because it is (finally) not necessary to select endpoints to join paths at their nearest endpoints.

JET

[ericy15881087]

Thats cool. But what is the solution to the problem. Would be nice if you could explain.

[Monika Gause]

Thats cool. But what is the solution to the problem. Would be nice if you could explain.

By @ericy15881087

If just selecting the objects and then joining doesn't work for you,

please create a new thread and describe your situation step by step.

Screenshots help.

[stylish_Flair01AC]

You might be selecting a third invisible endpoint.  If you select ONLY the two endpoints of the open curves then you will not have a problem.  No need to release compound paths if the path is open and it is in fact an open endpoint.

[michael31128256917j]

yep! i've run into this problem several times and never figured out why it was happening. I usually just started over, moving a few steps back in my project. It was, in fact, a third invisivle endpoint interfering with an otherwise normal procedure. Can't belive I didn't think of that! Haha thank you!

[samichi]

@JETalmage, This thread is still helpful, 1. Not everyone have latest versions. 2. This was helpful for me, since his situation was about trying to connect 2 compound paths together, which woin't work unless you right click and release the compound path, which he stated earlier in the thread.

[thou000]

This thread is over 5.5 years old and it is STILL helpful. I love that aljCharlie ended up finding the solution for himself. So to repeat, (and this is particularly pertinent when dealing with figures created by outlining type fonts) Before joining points you must select each object with the direct selection tool and release compound paths. Once both objects have been released you can proceed with joining points.

[Thomas Dearie]

Absolutely.

The thread is still important because this has been and remains an interface nuisance since Adobe Illustrator 88 (yes, that's as in 1988).

It's crazily overdue to be cleaned up.

There are still situations when you want to select 2 endpoints and join them.

They're not in different groups; they're not in compound paths; and there are no errant loose points in play.

But the app still steadfastly refuses to join them and gives the age-old cryptic error message about groups and endpoints.

I'm sure there's a logical answer, but it's not self evident to users and results in many, many cases of confusion and frustration.

After 25 yrs of using Illustrator, this is still one of the most common problems I see people report.

[Thomas Dearie]

I should add a bit of help here:

In some cases (for example when you convert type to paths), you'll get paths that are part of a compound path.

But, when you go to the menu:

Object > Compound Path,

the Release Compound Path option is grayed out.

However, if you try to Make a compound path with it, Illustrator will report that the path is already part of a compound path.

Regardless of the answer (I'm sure there is one), this is an unnecessarily confusing scenario and it would be good if Adobe would clean it up.

(I should also add that, most times this happens, it's actually something I've overlooked - here's my checklist for troubleshooting this issue:

1. Unlock all target paths.

2. Locate and remove stray points that are not part of the target path.
3. "Release compound paths" on target paths  (Object > Compound Path > Release)           

4. Ungroup target paths.

5. If Illustrator reports that the path is not compound, but you suspect it really is, make sure you're selecting all of the paths that might be part of the compound shape.

Hope this helps someone.)

Cheers

[nicoleb36880979]

aljCharlie said: "Never mind. I found my answer by myself. I have to right click on the path itself with the black arrow head and choose release compound path. "

Yes!  December of 2015 and this answer helped me solve that most frustrating problem in Illustrator CS6.  I actually had to turn both into compound paths, then release compound path.  Then they joined no problem.

Thanks aljCharlie!

[sabiner6858279]

Thanks Nicole36880979, I did what you suggested (make compound path and then release again) and then it finally worked!

[biochem_heather]

Thanks, Nicoleb36880979 and aljCharlie. I encountered this error in Ai CC 2015 release, and the only solution presented here that worked for me was making each into a compound path, and then releasing them.

[bsabiston1]

I just got this error.  It had nothing to do with compound paths as mine was a very simple shape.  The problem for me was invisible stray anchors floating in space at the same point as my two target points.  I only could see them by selecting each of my true anchor points and moving them out of the way (to the same spot) and joining them there.  By dragging the selection box over the original area I finally saw the "invisible" anchor.  Deleted that and then moved my joined corner back to exactly where it was by typing the coordinates in manually.

[Ton Frederiks]

Object > Path > Clean Up... > Delete Stray Points

May save you some time in the future.

[tuesdaiew29080634]

Omg thank you so much!!! I would always have this problem periodically when working in illustrator and I just couldn't figure out what it was or why it kept doing that. It was driving me crazy. I never thought the problem was a stray point.