Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
MASTERING OBJECT MANAGEMENT
Take control of the stacking order of objects right from the beginning, and become familiar
with the different ways to focus on just the necessary objects at one time.
Although probably the easiest and most important thing that you can do to keep your file
organized is to name your layers as you create them, it's easy to get lazy and just click the
New Layer icon. To avoid amassing a stack of ambiguously numbered layers, try to get in
the habit of holding Option/Alt when you click the New Layer icon to name it in the Layer
Options dialog, or double-click on the layer name itself to rename it. (Of course you can
double-click to the right of the layer name at any time to access Layer Options and edit the
name or other settings.) Both the Layers and the Appearance panel are designed primarily to
help you locate, select, and modify your artwork objects, so you want to take full advantage
of Illustrator's changing interface to know just where you are and what you'll be affecting.
Layers panel and isolation
When you enter isolation mode, only the artwork in the group or layer that's isolated will be visible in the
Layers panel. Once you exit isolation mode, the other layers and groups will once again appear in the
Layers panel.
Using isolation mode
Isolation mode is a quick way to isolate selected objects so you can work on them without
accidentally affecting other objects. The next time you want to edit an object, group, or
layer, use isolation mode instead of locking or hiding things that are in the way. In addition
to
you
choosing to enter isolation mode, Illustrator will also at times automatically place
you into a special form of isolation mode, such as when editing symbols, creating patterns,
or working with opacity masks. Isolation mode focuses your attention as you create and edit
various types of objects.
See the Tip “
Isolation Ins and outs
” for a summary of how to enter and exit isolation mode.
Once you enter, a gray bar appears at the top of your document window, indicating that
you're now in isolation mode, and the gray bar displays the hierarchy that contains the
isolated object. Everything on your artboard
except
the object(s) you've just isolated will be
dimmed, indicating that those other objects are temporarily locked. If you have isolated an
object or group, you can expand the isolation to the sublayer or layer that the object is on by
clicking on the word for that layer in the gray bar. As long as isolation mode is active,
anything you add to your artboard will automatically become part of the isolated group.
(Disable “Double-click to Isolate” in Preferences> General to prevent a double-click from
putting you in isolation mode.)
Isolation mode isn't limited to objects you've grouped yourself. Remember that other types
of objects—such as blends, envelopes, or Live Paint objects—exist as groups, and isolation
mode works for them, too. In addition to using isolation mode on groups, you can also use it
on almost anything—layers, symbols, clipping masks, compound paths, opacity masks,
images, gradient meshes, and even a single path. The next time you think you have to enter
Outline mode, or lock or hide objects to avoid grabbing other objects, try isolation mode
