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ebenheizerm28787053
ebenheizerm28787053
Inspiring
May 11, 2020
Answered

Selecting hidden layers

  • May 11, 2020
  • 5 replies
  • 11324 views

So I have some hidden layer inside a layer. How to select that main layer, while also selecting the hidden layer inside of it so I can move it around without having to manually unhiding it one by one then hiding it again?


Thank you!

    Correct answer Ryan25724079rmfo

    Okay. Thanks for the terms Tromboniator, but still it has not solve my problem. In the mentioned example I put there, I can select the hidden (any terms), while in another document I cannot.


    I just figured out that I had some locked guides in my project that were preventing me from selecting all objects in my layer. Once I unlocked the guides (from the menu: View- Guides- Unlock Guides) then I could select everything in my layer, including hidden objects. This may not fix your issue with getting hidden sublayers to select, but it's something to check into.

    5 replies

    ericc19576445
    ericc19576445
    Known Participant
    September 29, 2022

    This issue literally is going to make me need a therapist. Why TF is this not an option? Why can't I move all sublayers and contents with the master layer whether the contents are visible or not? "Hidden" is not "locked". They are very different terms, but Illustrator treats them the same way eventhough they have both. This is a workflow nightmare and I'm surprised there is no solution. Sometimes users need to maintain the layer structures and grouping, etc is not an option as it breaks layer structures (because we are also unable to group an entire layer without it restructuring - ridiculous).

     

    Please, for the love of all that is holy... add more layer controls for those of us who need the above.

      M
      Marky Mark Marino
      Known Participant
      January 26, 2024

      Completely agree!  In what world would it make sense that selecting the parent node of something doesn't select every child under it regardless of hidden/locked status?  It's maddening for use Character Animator / Illustrator people... the amount of showing/hiding you have to do when rigging characters is a total time suck. 

        ebenheizerm28787053
        ebenheizerm28787053Author
        Inspiring
        May 14, 2020

        Hello all!

        Thank you for answering and sorry for my delayed response.

         

        Here's an interesting thing, in this particular document I can select the hidden layers, but cannot do so in another document (different design). What's wrong?

        Charu Rajput
        Community Expert
        Charu RajputCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        May 14, 2020

        Hi,

        After seeing the screen shot, it seems these are not layers, these are pageItems. You can confirm by hiding thumnails icons for the layers.

        Follow these steps

         

        1. Open "Panel Options"  from menu of the Layers panel.

        2. Unchecked checkbox "Layers", as marked in the below screenshot

        3. Click OK

         

        So now, in layers panel, you will not see thumbnail icons for layers so by which you can easily differentiate.

         

        Secondly, all layers have different colors and by seeing your image, colors for layers is as blue. That means all are pageItems inside one layers not layers, Since these are pageItems, you can select them but you cannot select the hidden layers.

         

        I hope it helps you in differentiate between pageItems and layers.

         

        Thanks

        Best regards
          ebenheizerm28787053
          ebenheizerm28787053Author
          Inspiring
          May 17, 2020

          Hey there!
          Thank you for your response. Sorry for my delayed response.

           

          I see, so that's called page items.

           

          In another document, I cannot choose hidden page items, while in that example below I can. What's wrong?

          Kurt Gold
          Community Expert
          Kurt GoldCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          May 11, 2020

          The procedure Myra is describing used to work reliably in former versions of Illustrator when you were clicking the target circle of the main layer. It even recognised locked sublayers or objects.

           

          In the most recent versions of Illustrator (Mac version) it does only work sporadically. At least in my experience.

            Charu Rajput
            Community Expert
            Charu RajputCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            May 11, 2020

            I have also experienced the same in CC version and I have never used versions below CC.

            Best regards
            Myra Ferguson
            Community Expert
            Myra FergusonCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            May 11, 2020

            Open your Layers panel. If you click to the right of the circle (it's referred to as its target) on the parent layer, you'll see that it's selected and so are its sublayers--including your hidden layer. You can even select the hidden layer by clicking to the right of its circle in the Layers panel.

              Charu Rajput
              Community Expert
              Charu RajputCommunity Expert
              Community Expert
              May 11, 2020

              Hi,

              This is nice, but I have tried, I can select the item inside the hidden layers(provided they are not hidden), but not hidden layer. May be I am doing something incorrect. 😞

              If you can share the screenshot/small video that will help me to learn this.

               

              Thanks

              Best regards
              Charu Rajput
              Community Expert
              Charu RajputCommunity Expert
              Community Expert
              May 11, 2020

              Hi,

              I don't think so it is possible manually, but you can write script for the same that will do following tasks

               

              1. Store lists of all sublayers of active layer that are hidden.

              2. Unhide all layers that we store in step 1

              3. Perform your operation.

              4. Hide all layers that we store in step 1.

               

              This is also doing hiding and unhiding, but goinf to each layer manually.

               

              Thanks

              Best regards
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