Problem with Grouping Layers
I didn't use to have this problem and it doesn't seem to happen all the time, but when it happens it is annoying. That is, when I want to group two different sets of separately grouped objects into a grouped layer, what happens is that each of the layer groups with specific set of objects become combined into one single layer group. That is, the objects are no longer layer grouped by their original layer groups, but all the objects where combined into the same layer group. An Example would be: One layer group contains yellow objects and another layer group contains red objects. When I go into the layer panel and select both layer groups and hit ctrl G for group all the yellow and all the red objects become combined into a single layer group instead of the layer groups themselves becoming a sub-layer group of a sub group layer. Not only do I get this problem, but all the original layers that originally contained those separate layer groups become blank layers left on the template and that would be outright tedious to have to search through all the layers and delete the ones that are empty.
I didn't use to have these problems so It must have been an update or something.
Josiah Fickinger
shared this idea
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@HEY 2 DSGN, now this is super broken.
Is it a cloud file or a locally saved one? Do you have an earlier version of it?
Please check Preferences > File Handling — do you have Save in Background enabled? It causes many problem with files, and I’d recommend to disable it.
Anyway, please do share the file with the team... perhaps they can find something that would help them to investigate it. If you have an older version of this file, it’d help as well.
Please send these, along with the full specs of your OS, to sharewithai@adobe.com (and mention the link to this report, http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447/suggestions/49679312) -
HEY 2 DSGN commented
I have same issued. I completed a project where all elements, including groups, text, and images, were meticulously organized and locked into their respective groups and artboards. Upon opening the same file next day, the entire structure was corrupted:
Cross-Artboard Grouping: Objects from Artboard 1 were inexplicably grouped with elements on Artboard 2.Object Displacement: Text and graphics have shifted from their original coordinates without manual input.
Ghost Duplicates: Multiple layers of outlined text (2x or 3x copies) appeared unexpectedly.
Visibility Bugs: Some text elements became invisible or failed to render until they were manually cut and "Pasted in Front" (Ctrl/Cmd+F).
Impact: This is not a user error; it is a fundamental failure in how the software saves or interprets layer hierarchies and object positioning. I cannot afford to re-align and re-group my work every time I reopen a file. This instability makes Illustrator unreliable for professional, deadline-driven work.
Illustrator Version: 30.1
macOS Sequoia 15.6.1 -
Josiah, what do you call a 'layer group'? Ai don’t have these. It has layers ('top layers' and 'sublayers', if these are put into other layers) and groups. I suppose you mean just 'group'?
I can’t really tell what do you mean just by the description, I think, sorry.
Can you please share a test file with these red and yellow objects organized and and a video showing the way the behave?The problem I can think of is that what you think of groups is in fact a sublayer... and when you select their children in Layers panel and try to group them, these go into the topmost sublayer, while the one below becomes blank (just as it happens for top layers).
Take a look a the two GIFs attached.Ai today doesn’t differ group from layer clear enough... In older versions layers would have a different row color. Today we have to rely on the default naming convention (and these can be renamed), highlight color (can be changed), and a small triangle at the top right corner of the row — visible only if the layer is focused in the Layers... there are request here at UV to do something about it.
Please try to check if this is the case and comment back.
