Selecting all visible objects in Illustrator

[2ndPath]

Does anyone know a way to select all visible objects in illustrator? By visible I mean objects not covered completely behind other objects. What I want to do with this is to remove a large number of objects, which are hidden, from a file to make it smaller. If there is another way to do that, I am also fine with that.

 

[Blue Velvet]

If you want to remove specific and overlapping objects that are not on a separate layer, it's probably best done in Outline view (Apple-Y).

You can then see their centre-points and by shift-clicking on each of the objects in turn you can select a whole bunch of them at once.

 

[2ndPath]

If you want to remove specific and overlapping objects that are not on a separate layer, it's probably best done in Outline view (Apple-Y).

You can then see their centre-points and by shift-clicking on each of the objects in turn you can select a whole bunch of them at once.

The problem is that it is more than a hundred of objects. Therefore I was hoping for an automatic solution. Otherwise I guess I will just live with the larger file.

 

[Blue Velvet]

What about selecting all the objects you do want and copying/moving them to a new layer and trashing the old layer beneath?

 

[2ndPath]

What about selecting all the objects you do want and copying/moving them to a new layer and trashing the old layer beneath?

Also thanks for this hint, but the problem is the same: The objects which are covered, are covered by a large number of partially overlapping objects.

 

[zarathustra]

If the items you are trying to delete (keep) share the same or similar fill/stroke/transparency, you can use the magic wand.

Hit Y. Make sure you show the Magic Wand palette from the Window menu. Tweak the tolerance for stroke/fill.

 

[2ndPath]

If the items you are trying to delete (keep) share the same or similar fill/stroke/transparency, you can use the magic wand.

Hit Y. Make sure you show the Magic Wand palette from the Window menu. Tweak the tolerance for stroke/fill.

Unfortunately the objects in front and the ones covered up by them are all of the same type.

 

[zarathustra]

Can you post a small screenshot? Sometimes you can use the pathfinder to unite elements..

 

[2ndPath]

This is a part of the picture. It is basically randomly scattered circles. I still want to have an opaque look, but there are much more circles underneath than needed.