Maintain grouping in Flexi when opening illustrator files ?

[whatsinaname]

We are trying to open/import an illustrator file with around 50 individual artworks into Flexi but Flexi would place all of them only as a single group (check the attached image After importing.jpg) and then when we ungroup, it ungroups everything (check attached image After_ungrouping.jpg). We have to group every single artwork again. That's a real PITA as we have more than 3000 of such artworks. All our artworks are in illustrator .ai. and we are using Flexi only for nesting since we have tried various nesting plugins but they are not as good as Flexi in the nesting calculations for our purpose.

Anyway to import or open the artworks in Flexi, grouped exactly as they were in illustrator?

 

[eahicks]

Are they grouped like you want them in Illustrator first? And when you import, do you use UNGROUP or UNGROUP ALL?


EDIT: Found you a workaround after testing this myself, each one of those grouped sets you have, you need to make them Compound Paths. They'll stay together once you ungroup them in Flexi.

 

[bannertime]

What eahicks said. BUT I've recently demo'd the Onyx TruFit nesting program and it's pretty nice. It world work really well for someone doing flatbed printing/cutting. It was a sticker shock price for me, since it's a feature I get built into a program I already use, but it's pretty good. If I moved away from SAI products, it'd be one of the first pieces of software we purchase.

 

[whatsinaname]

Are they grouped like you want them in Illustrator first? And when you import, do you use UNGROUP or UNGROUP ALL?


EDIT: Found you a workaround after testing this myself, each one of those grouped sets you have, you need to make them Compound Paths. They'll stay together once you ungroup them in Flexi.

Used the Ungroup option. That would still keep the actual artwork grouped but the bounding boxes ungrouped. We have to select each artwork and group it again. Will try compound path but I remember it didn't work last time we tried. Will try again. Thanks eahicks for the tip.

 

[karst41]

I think your problem is originating in Illustrator.

Illustrator is automatically grouping everything together, and that is how it is being imported into Flexi (I use AI Mac version) (FS 19 PC)

Just ungroup everything in Illustrator and then regroup only the items that you
want grouped together. and save as .AI

Vectored Files
I have more hassles and glitches importing EPS or Pdf into FS19
However,, please take note that EPS 3, yes 3 is surefooted as a mountain goat with vectored paths. My understanding is that eps 3 came out with Illustrator 3 and Adobe has used 3 as the base platform for all versions to build on.

So if the pdf, eps, or AI is peeing in yo wheaties,, go eps 3

I hope this helps
Cheers and Happy 4th