Locked group 2

[yadseut]

A set of illustrations were grouped, but would not ungroup. Is it possible that there is a plug-in that locks the group and we don't have that piece of software? Help please. Note: the quick key and the Ungroup under object was gray.

 

[jmgalvin]

First open the layers palette and see if there are more than one layer and, if so, you're on the right one.

Also make sure that the locked group is not under another object - even an empty box. You can Select All to see if there are other objects.

Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[moriaorc]

yadseut,

Are you sure that it is a Group and not a compound path? I've been fooled by that a few times.

 

[moriaorc]

Gaa...

Sorry, I meant compound shape, not path.

 

[jconingham]

Is it possible that there is a plug-in that locks the group and we don't have that piece of software?

If you didn't have the software then the group wouldn't be locked - and the answer is "No". Refer to Illustrator's help file to learn a little bit more about plug-ins.

You might be dealing with a group of groups, meaning that you'll have to hit the Ungroup command several times (which will unlock the latest group and all the ones created before).

The best way to approach this is by using the Layers Palette. If you expand the layer (click on the symbol to the left of the layer name) that you are working on you'll be able to see everything that's in there: lose objects, compounds, groups, etc. If you expand the grouped object (like you did with the layer, still in the palette) you'll be able to select and move the items in the palette, and if you move them up one level, that is, out of the group, they'll be automatically ungrouped.

 

[yadseut]

Thank you to both of you. I checked the compound path. It's a no on that.

It is a Illustrator file with four separate illustrations, each drawing is made of colored shapes. There is only one layer. All is grouped. It is a Mac, Adobe Illustrator.ai file.

My boss just told me to forget about it, she is using the images as they were sent. She originally wanted to change some of the colors and to move a shape back to front. When ever clicking on a shape with the selection tool (v) she found everything was grouped. When she tried to ungroup the document Illustrator wouldn't acknowledge that anything was grouped. I asked about layers, there was one layer. The creator said, they hadn't done anything special. That is where the question started meanwhile curosity still grips.

 

[jconingham]

If this helps, you can select an object within a group without ungrouping by using the Direct Selection Tool (A), white arrow, instead of the Selection Tool.