Why is Illustrator creating clipping groups automatically for imported objects?

[Terve]

Hi, this is probably related to my lack of knowledge about Illustrator, but it is still driving me crazy.

I work alot with icons that I create in AI and I always make them into a compound path in order to easily change colors etc. Then I save them as AI or EPS. But, then when I import those files into another AI file, the icon imported is no more a compound path. Instead Illustrator import it as a group with clippingf paths.

What am I doing wrong here?

[federico platon · Accepted solution]

Nothing wrong. that is what is expected when placing an ai file.

What you want is answered by Libraries, use that panel for adding that compound path to a Library, by dragging or click the Add Cointent icon on the panel.

Then on another file(s) select the item in the Library and on the contextual menu choose Place Copy.

[Terve]

Thanks, this clarify things.


Kind regards

Johan Terve
Vice President Marketing

Personal info removed by  moderator

[Doug A Roberts]

To clarify a little further, when you Place an AI file inside another, what you're actually placing is the PDF part of the file. Lots of features of AI files are constructed differently in PDFs to produce the same appearance, including using lots of clipping paths.

[MarcosAdriano1994]

There is another way to insert a . AI file inside another without creating clipping mask or using the Libraries?

[Doug A Roberts]

Copy & paste the contents?

[MarcosAdriano1994]

That would be it. It's just that in my situation I need to opened several . AI files in a single document. AI. Copying and pasting would be time-consuming and impractical. I usually work with scripts for Illustrator, but I need one that doesn't consume as much computer resources, because opening all the files and copying them one by one is not feasible. I'm thinking of trying something using the Adobe Library, but I also need an alternative if there is one.

[Doug A Roberts]

What is the issue with using Libraries?

[MarcosAdriano1994]

Recently my library has not been working and I have not yet received an opinion from Adobe on this. I may need to reinstall Creative Cloud.