Indirect Selection tool doesn't always work

[Aaron_Merritt@adobeforums.com]

I have a problem with some ai files that I've been trying to open (I'm in CS, working on illustrator 10 converted files). I have a shape in the file, and can only select it with the direct selection tool. A bounding box gets drawn around the shape, but there are no points visible (it looks like a placed image would be, but it should be an illustrator image and isn't linked). I tried ungrouping it, but it's not a group. It's also not a clipping path.

It does seem though, that if I use the indirect selection tool, it does grab parts of the path, but yet I never see it selected or highlighted, unless I use the direct selection tool (which shows up as a bounding box).

Anyone seen this bug before and know a work around or solution?

[jonf@adobeforums.com]

I'm not sure, but it sounds like you have "Hide" selection area as your default. (I use Command-H to toggle in and out of this, and don't remember what it's actually called or where it is in the menu). Try using Command-H and see if it toggles to the view you expect.

But if that's the explanation, I don't know why it's always like this on your system. I sort of assumed it would start up in normal mode by default, and would only go into Hide mode if you toggled into it.

[Anne-Marie_Concepcion@adobeforums.com]

Could it be a live blend or envelope distort or a live effect? The 'selection symptoms' aren't exactly the same as you describe, but they do have similar weirdnesses about them when it comes to selecting individual paths.

Check the Appearance panel and outline view, or see if any of the Expand commands are enabled in the Objects menu/submenus. (And if so, you'd have to expand the object to edit individual paths.)

AM

[Doug_Katz@adobeforums.com]

Try command-shift-B.