: Illustrator - Cutting a shape inside a grouped object I have a grouped object in illustrator and I want to cut out a circle-shaped hole out of the grouped object. So I draw the circle over

@Turnbaugh909

If you do not need the strokes and shapes in black to remain "live"....

Select the black, Object > Expand
Then Pathfinder > Unite
Select the new black shape and the red circle, Pathfinder > Minus Front

If you must keep the black shapes as strokes and live.....

Draw another circle which encompasses all the black.
Place this large circle behind the small red circle.
Select the large circle and the small red circle, Object > Compound Path > Make
Now select everything and choose Object > Clipping Mask > Make

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@Kevin459

I think you have to do it in phases in order to get it right. What I did was duplicate the cut out shape for each component. Not ideal, but it works.

Here's what I did from within the group:

1) Select the crossing rectangles.



2) Compounded the rectangle shapes to one shape. Object > Compound Path > Make



3) Duplicate the shape for the cutout and position it over the new compounded shape



4) Select both the cutout and the compound shape and Use the Subtract from shape area button in the Pathfinder window Window > Pathfinder.



5) Hide those for now, and select the other cutout and the base shape



6) Use the Subtract from shape area button in the Pathfinder window.



7) Unhide your crossing rectangles and voila!

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