Grouping Objects

Objects can be grouped together so that you can move, select, hide and lock them all at the same time. Also, it is necessary to group objects to perform certain actions. Every group has a numerical name, and by default objects are placed in group 0. Objects are placed into a group simply by assigning them a group number.

Creating new groups

New groups can be created and objects can be added to a group by the same process: assigning a group number to objects. By default, every new object that you create is placed in group 0. If you want to create a group 1, just assign one of your objects the group number 1. You can add more objects to group 1 by assigning group number 1 to more objects.

To assign a group number to an object

• Do one of the following:
  • Right-click the object and click Assign group in the context menu.
  • Select the object, then go to the Group menu and click Assign Group Number.
• In the Set Group Number dialog box, enter a group number and click OK.

Selecting/deselecting groups

All of the objects in a group can be selected at once. If the objects in a group are bound to each other, you only need to click on the group. If the objects are not bound, you must use the command in the Group menu. To select individual objects in a bound group, you must use the Navigate Group Objects dialog box or unbind the group objects.

To select a group as a whole

• If the group objects are bound:
  • Simply click one of the objects.
• If the group objects are not bound:
  • In the Group menu, click Select.
  • In the Group Setting dialog box, enter the numbers of the group(s) you want to select and click OK.

To deselect a group as a whole

• In the Group menu, click Deselect.
• In the Group Setting dialog box, enter the numbers of the group(s) you want to deselect and click OK.

Showing/hiding groups

All of the objects in a group can be shown or hidden at once. To do this, you can use the commands in the Group menu. When a group is hidden, it is invisible to you on the canvas. This is particularly useful when you want to edit an object that is beneath the group and thus cannot be seen. When groups are hidden, it is as if they are locked, i.e. they cannot be edited from the canvas.

To hide a group as a whole

1. In the Group menu, click Hide.
2. In the Group Setting dialog box, enter the numbers of the group(s) you want to hide and click OK.

To show a group as a whole

1. In the Group menu, click Show.
2. In the Group Setting dialog box, enter the numbers of the group(s) you want to show and click OK.

Locking/unlocking groups

If you don't want a certain group to be edited in any way, you can lock it. This will protect it from accidental edits. When a group is locked, it cannot even be selected or highlighted. You can unlock it again and it will return to normal. These functions can be performed using commands found in the Group menu.

To lock a group as a whole

1. In the Group menu, click Lock.
2. In the Group Setting dialog box, enter the numbers of the group(s) you want to lock and click OK.

To unlock a group as a whole

1. In the Group menu, click Unlock.
2. In the Group Setting dialog box, enter the numbers of the group(s) you want to unlock and click OK.

Moving group layers

You can change the layer order of all objects in a group simultaneously. There are four commands in the Group menu which allow you to move the group up one layer, down one layer, to the top, or to the bottom, respectively.

Navigating through objects in a group

When objects in a group are bound, they cannot be selected individually. But you may want to select, hide, or lock an object without unbinding it. To do this, Flying Popcorn provides you with the Navigate Group Objects dialog box. This dialog box allows you to select individual objects in a group, and easily select objects based upon what group they are in. In addition, it contains buttons for directly selecting, hiding, locking, and changing the layer order of objects.

To use the Navigate Group Objects dialog box

1. In the Group menu, click Navigate Objects.
2. In the Navigate Group Objects dialog box, navigate to the object you want, adjust its attributes, and click OK.

Features of the Navigate Group Objects dialog box

1. Group Number: Select the number of the group through which you want to navigate from the drop-down list. To navigate through all objects, select (AllObjs).
2. Select Object: Select the object to which you want to navigate. Only objects in the selected group will appear.
3. Navigation buttons: These buttons navigate through each object. The functions of each button, respectively, are as follows: first object, previous object, next object, last object.
4. Change layer buttons: These buttons change the layer order of the objects within the group. The First button puts the object below all other objects in the group. The Prev button moves the object down a layer. The Next button moves the object up a layer. The Last button puts the object above all other objects in the group.
5. Change selected object's attributes buttons: With these buttons you can select, deselect, lock, unlock, show, and hide individual objects.
6. Close and change Attribute: Click this button to close the Navigate Group Objects dialog box and open the Object Properties dialog box. From there, you can modify the objects properties. This is especially useful if the object is locked or hidden.

Binding and unbinding group objects

If the objects in a group are bound together, it means they cannot be selected or moved individually. When they are bound and you have enabled the View Group/Object Number function, you can see an asterix next to the object's group number. Binding objects allows you to avoid accidental edits to the objects of a group. For example, if you have a group of objects perfectly aligned and you don't want to accidentally change that alignment, you should bind them. If you need to make a quick adjustment to an object in a bound group, you can temporarily turn off object binding in the Group menu.

To enable group binding

1. Right-click an object, and click Assign group in the context menu.
2. In the Set Group Number dialog box, check the Binding group objects(for select and move) checkbox and click OK.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for at least one other object in the same group.
4. You must do this for two or more objects in the group for it to have any effect. Use the command in the View menu to show object/group numbers. If you do not see an asterix beside an object's group number, it has not been bound.

To disable group binding

1. Right-click an object, and click Assign group in the context menu.
2. In the Set Group Number dialog box, uncheck the Binding group objects(for select and move) checkbox and click OK.