Problem making selections across layers for soft grouping

[Post re: Xara DP6] I've been using Xara for years, but have never used it for web work. Compared to the rest of the program, I'm finding creation or editing of nav bars very anti-intuitive. For the first time, using Xara is painful.

Having had no luck editing a template navbar, I started from scratch and had no trouble designing a bar with the look I wanted. I have all the buttons made; one complete set is on the MouseOver layer, another set is on the MouseOff layer. So far so good.

I've read my butt off, so I already know that--for each button in my bar--I need to soft group the Text Line + Shape on the MouseOver layer with the Text Line + Shape on the MouseOff layer. That's the part I can't seem to do.

I am having no problem selecting the Text Line + Shape on either layer (by Ctrl+Click), but then when I go to the other layer to repeat the process and complete the soft grouping, I lose the first two items I selected on the other layer. What the heck is happening?

I've uploaded the bar with both layers of buttons. I'm hoping it's something stupid and simple...LOL

Thanks in advance--any assistance greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Bud

Each button is 5 objects - you have 3 objects on the mouse-over layer (2 text, 1 shape) and 2 objects on the mouse-off layer (1 text, 1 shape) - I don't know if that is what you intended.

Your problem is switching between layers when selecting objects - this causes objects to be deselected. You don't need to switch, simply have both layers visible and drag a box out that encloses the whole button (status line shows 5 objects on 2 layers) and then arrange>soft group.
NB. If you use the alternate scheme where everything that touches the selection box is selected then simply drag vertically from above the button to below,

By the way the Xara Navbar templates are really only any use in Web Designer 6; if you have Photo and Graphic Designer 6 you do not have access to the automatic navbar functions (although yo can use the buttons as templates to manually make your own navbar)

You will not see the mouse-over effect (preview website) until you add a link to the soft group. It works fine even with the 5 objects.

Welcome to TalkGraphics (both of you) :)

You do have a bit of a bollix here.

You had an extra HOME and I am not sure your buttons were on the proper layers.

I redid the HOME button and linked it to # (# links to the same page and you can use this to test your buttons to make sure they work).

Before you apply a soft group, when you select both buttons, the status line should read two groups on two layers. If it does not say this then both button states are on the same layer.

a_tranter: Thanks for the keen eye. I had all layers fully expanded to show contents, so I don't know how I managed to miss the fact I had somehow doubled the text items. And I can't thank you enough for an unintentional tip about changing the selection marquee option from outside to touching. I had no idea this option existed, and many a time I have pulled things apart and reassembled them just to make a selection, so I will use this feature often.

Gary: Yes, my middle name is Bollixed, but I can't figure out how you happened to know that... ;) After looking over your example, the only problem I encountered was that the grouping has to be performed in a particular order when reassembling the buttons (group, then soft-group) and I kept doing the reverse, which Xara did not much care for. Many times I got the "Sorry" message when trying to Create Nav Bar until I figured out what the problem was. Bar is now just how I wanted it and working fine. Thanks much for your time.