Grouping multiple objects

When you want to keep two or more objects together as one unit, you can make a group of them. You can group individual objects as well as already-grouped objects.

When you do that, for instance, you can easily layout out moving one unit of multiple objects together. Also, you can resize or rotate the Group object as a whole.

To Group Multiple Objects

  1. Select two or more objects.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • Click the top part of the Group split button from the Transform panel of the Home tab.

  • Click the top part of the Group split button from the Transform panel of the Draw tab.

  • Right-click and select Group from the context menu.

  • Press Ctrl+G.

Example

Several objects are selected.

The group objects is created from the selection.

 

Grouping objects will be performed based on the object of the most behind among the selection. Thus, other objects in a group may shift down in the stacking order relative to objects outside the group.

 

To Ungroup Group Objects

  1. Select a Group Object or Objects.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • Click the bottom part of the Group split button from the Transform panel of the Home tab. Select Ungroup from the Group drop-down list.

  • Click the bottom part of the Group split button from the Transform panel of the Draw tab. Select Ungroup from the Group drop-down list.

  • Right-click and select UnGroup from the context menu.

  • Press Ctrl+Shift+G.

  1. Repeat step 2 when the selected Group object has the nested Group objects inside as needed.

To Select an Object in a Group object

  1. Select a Group object.

  2. Click an object in the Group object.

  3. Shift-click to continue to select others.

The Group itself is selected. The Group object bounds are shown with the handles.

One object in the Group object is selected. The Group object bounds are indicated as the blue rectangle without the handles.

 

Objects in any nested Group objects inside a Group can be selected as if they were in one group.

 

If you want to select a nested Group object as a whole in a Group object, you should lock the contents in the group and then group it with other objects.

 

You may want to disable selection of objects in a Group object from time to time.

To Lock Contents in a Group

  1. Select a Group object in which you want to prevent from accidental move of objects.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • Click the bottom part of the Group split button from the Transform panel of the Home tab. Select Lock Contents in Group from the Group drop-down list.

  • Click the bottom part of the Group split button from the Transform panel of the Draw tab. Select Lock Contents in Group from the Group drop-down list.

To Unlock Contents in a Group

  1. Select a Group object in which you want to prevent from accidental move of objects.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • Click the bottom part of the Group split button from the Transform panel of the Home tab. Select Unlock Group Content from the Group drop-down list.

  • Click the bottom part of the Group split button from the Transform panel of the Draw tab. Select Unlock Group Content from the Group drop-down list.