Is there a "group" function that isn't visual, and locks objects together?

Question

Is there a way to "Group" objects like in Visio such that:

a) the group is transparent visually (as soon as the group is created, not after having to go and adjust lots of properties on a group)

b) it is not possible to select one item from the group afterwards individually, i.e. the object act as a single overall object

Answer 1

No, there is not.

Answer 2

You could design your "invisible group" once and then add it to a custom palette. Of course, invisible objects are a bit hard to manage.