Grouping Markups

Multiple markups can grouped to behave like a single markup. Grouping creates a single element that can be moved, edited, and copied and pasted at the same time and they can be added to the Tool Chest for reuse. Additionally, multiple groups can be grouped (or "nested").

ClosedGrouping

To group markups:

  1. Hold down the SHIFT key and select two or more markups to be grouped.

    Note: The first markup selected will be the "dominant markup" unless another one is selected as described below. By default, the properties of this markup will determine which columns are displayed in the Markups list for the group.

  2. Use one of the following methods to group the selected markups:
    • In the Options section of the Properties tab, click the Group button.
    • CTRL-click on one of the selected markups and select Group. This markup becomes the dominant markup with the properties described in the note above.
    • Press ⌘+G.
    • In the Markups list, CTRL-click on the row of one of the selected markups and select Group.
ClosedGroups in the Markups List

A group will appear as a Group item in the Markups list with a toggle arrow next to it.

Click the toggle arrow beside a Group item in the Markups list to expand or contract the group. When expanded, the individual markups in the group are shown.

ClosedMeasurement Values for Groups in the Markups List

By default, when markups are grouped, the values in the measurement columns (Count, Length, Area, Wall Area, and Volume) for the Group item will be the sum of those measurements for all the markups in the group, provided that all the markups in the group support that measurement.  If one or more markups in the group do not support the measurement, the value for the Group item will be blank.

ClosedGrouping Pen and Highlighter Markups

When using the Pen or Highlight tools, all marks made are automatically created as a single, grouped markup. Press ENTER while creating markups with these tools to separate the next markup into a new group.

ClosedNesting Groups

Multiple groups can be grouped together, creating "nested groups." Nested groups maintain their hierarchy (that is, they are not flattened into a single group), making it possible to remove some or all parts of a nested group.

To create a nested group:

  1. Hold down the SHIFT key and select two or more groups to be grouped.
  2. Use one of the following methods to group the selected groups:
    • In the Options section of the Properties tab, click the Group button.
    • CTRL-click on one of the selected markups and select Group.
    • Press ⌘+G.

Note: Nested groups can be nested with other groups or even with other nested groups, allowing for an unlimited number of nesting layers.

Markups can be grouped with existing nested groups. When this is done, the markups are automatically added to the topmost nesting layer.

To group markups with a nested group:

  1. Hold down the SHIFT key and select the nested group and one or more markups to be grouped with the nested group.
  2. Use one of the following methods to group the markups with the selected nested group:
    • In the Options section of the Properties tab, click the Group button.
    • CTRL-click on one of the selected markups and select Group.
    • Press ⌘+G.
ClosedMeasurement Values for Nested Groups in the Markups List

Measurement values for Group items in nested groups behave the same as they do for un-nested groups except that higher level groups will contain the totals of all the groups nested under them. Note that, just as with un-nested groups, all the markups contained in a nested group must support a given measurement value in order for the sum of those measurements to show for the Group item.

ClosedWorking with Groups
ClosedMoving and Resizing

A group can be moved and resized as single element in the same way you would move or resize a single markup, but the markups within the group can also be moved and resized within the group without ungrouping.

To move or resize the markups individually:

  1. Select the group.
  2. Press and hold down OPTION. The handles for each of the markups will display while the key is held down.
  3. Click and drag the handle of any markup to resize it, or click and drag the markup to move it.

ClosedEditing Markups in a Group

Individual markups that are in a group can be edited without needing to be ungrouped.

  1. Select the group.
  2. In the Markups list, click the toggle arrow to the left of the Group item, which will be highlighted, to expand the group.
  3. Select the specific markup to be edited.
  4. Make any desired edits in the Properties tab.
ClosedUngrouping

The process for ungrouping varies depending on whether the group in question is nested or not.

ClosedUngrouping markups in an un-nested group

This process will ungroup all markups in an un-nested group.

  1. Select the group.
  2. Use one of the following methods to ungroup the markups:
    • In the Options section of the Properties tab, click the Ungroup button.
    • Right-click on one markup in the group and select Ungroup.
    • Press ⇧+⌘+G.
    • In the Markups list, right-click on the group's row and select Ungroup.
ClosedUngrouping Nested Groups

Nested groups are ungrouped one layer at a time, starting with the topmost layer. For example, if a nested group contains two groups, and those two groups are each nested groups (so, the group is nested three levels deep), then ungrouping this group would "break" the topmost grouping layer, resulting in two separate groups, each containing nested groups, as illustrated in the image below.

To ungroup from the topmost nesting layer:

  1. Select the nested group.
  2. Use one of the following methods to ungroup the nested groups from the topmost nesting layer:
    • In the Options section of the Properties tab, click the Ungroup button.
    • Right-click on one markup in the group and select Ungroup.
    • Press ⇧+⌘+G.
    • In the Markups list, right-click on the group's row and select Ungroup.

Related topics

Tool Chest Tab

Markups List