Jump to content

Selecting Objects


Recommended Posts

quote:

Originally posted by john vs:

2. You can't start a selection inside a polygon or circle to select items within the polygon/circle because that selects the enclosing polygon/circle. This is maddening! How on earth do you select things?!?

Yes, this can be annoying.

first, if the object you're "inside" does not have a fill, it won't be selected, and in some occasions you might have to take it's fill out temporarily,but the easier answer is,

If you hold down the shift key when you start the drag, the beginning object will not be selected.

HTH

[ 02-27-2006, 03:16 PM: Message edited by: propstuff ]

Link to comment

I am making the transition from AutoCad to VectorWorks and have two major issues with the basic function of selecting objects.

1. One thing that is glaringly missing from VectorWorks is the ability to select objects with a "crossing" mode. i.e., selecting objects by clicking and dragging the selection rectangle so that it crosses them as opposed to completely enclosing them. In AutoCad this is accomplished by clicking and moving the cursor to the left.

2. You can't start a selection inside a polygon or circle to select items within the polygon/circle because that selects the enclosing polygon/circle. This is maddening! How on earth do you select things?!?

  • Like 1
Link to comment

1) Holding the OPTION (mac) or ALT (windows) key during a DRAG SELECT will select EVERY object touched.

2) Two ways. You can LOCK the circle. Then even if it get selected, you will not be able modify/move it. You can place the circle in another layer...

Also of some note is the CUSTOM SELECTION command which allows you to select (or create a script to select) objects based on specific user-defined criteria.

HTH's

Link to comment

Thanks for the response, Peter and Nicholas. The use of Option key is mentioned in the manual in the Selecting Objects section, but only as a way to copy an object (so why is it in that section?).

It sounds like VW has a few nifty ways to work around this issue, but they all GREATLY decrease productivity (Locking an object or turning off its fill first, or using a script to select something). I guess I just won't use the fill.

Link to comment

Hi John,

Holding down the shift key is not so much a work-around as a "work flow".

Since the shift key is standard for adding to and subtracting from selections anyway, I don't notice that I do it mostly.

Regarding Custom selection scripts; I don't think Peter was suggesting that for this problem; just drawing your attention to the general possibilities.

cheers,

N.

Link to comment

John,

In Autocad you need that cumulative selection approach, but in VectorWorks it would be a disadvantage.

In VW, you draw everything as groups, or as complex polygons or surfaces -- that's because the VW group is really useful, not the awkward mess that AC calls a group, and because it's very easy to create and edit complex polylines in VW, using the Rectangle tool, together with easy X and Y coordinate entry on the numeric keypad, and then the Add Surface and Clip Surface commands and the various modes of the 2D Reshape tool.

Drawing that way has several effects on selection:

--you're often selecting only one object, even though it looks like a lot of objects;

--because a group or complex polyline is only selected if it's entirely inside the selection window, it's easy to draw a selection window that only includes the groups or objects that you want -- you rarely need to use the AC "crossing" type of selection, and it's very convenient that you can do a window type selection in either direction;

--in VW an object stays selected after being moved or copied, so you can perform more operations or commands on the same object;

--given all the above, it's great that selecting something in the normal way de-selects anything else, without using the Escape key.

Link to comment

quote:

Originally posted by john vs:

2. You can't start a selection inside a polygon or circle to select items within the polygon/circle because that selects the enclosing polygon/circle.

It would seem to me that in nearly all cases you can start your selection outside the enclosing polygon, but still be able to select everything you want inside it. Alternatively select everything, then deselect the poly. I get your point, but you do get used to it, its not really an issue. What IS an annoyance, for me at least, is selecting overlapping objects (usually in 3D),where you have to send all the frontmost objects backwards. I wish VW would take a leaf out of apps like InDesign, where cmd+ clicking cycles you though all the overlapping objects.

By the way Nicholas, that's a great tip about the shift-drag. I never knew that before!

Link to comment

John,

Selecting objects can be tricky, but it is consistent and predictable, once you become familiar with it.

Peter mentioned using the Option key while selecting and Nicholas mentioned using the Shift key. For what you are asking you need to use both together, if you haven't already.

You can Shift-Select objects, starting from anywhere, and only grab objects that are fully encompassed. This works inside, outside and across circle/polygon/group/symbol/etc boundaries without selecting the larger encompassing object, even if the larger object has a fill.

Shift-Selecting adds and subtracts objects to and from the current selection list. Shift-Selecting used to only add to the list, a behavior I miss. (Hint to NNA, I'd like to be able to set a preference, or mode button, to get back to this selection mode sometimes.) To empty the list, press the X key twice, and fast before selecting, which is the same as clicking in the white space of the drawing.

You can Option-Shift-Select from within a polygon and not select the polygon, unless you cross one of its sides. The circle is different from other objects and will get selected if you try to Option-Shift-Select from inside it. Not sure why. Most simple objects don't behave this way. Selecting from inside an oval behaves like selecting from inside a polygon, or a rectangle.

If you Option-Shift-Select inside the boundary of a symbol or group, the symbol or group will get selected. The circle acts this way. I don't find this convenient, but I have learned to live with it and can predict its behavior. Should NNA "improve" selection behavior from the way it is now, I certainly won't object.

HTH,

Raymond

Link to comment
  • 11 years later...
Guest Blars

I agree that the SELECT tool should "RESHAPE" as a default.  I found a way to solve this by remapping your quick key for the RESHAPE tool in place off the Select tool.  So if SELECT was "S" and RESHAPE was "Shift+S", flip the quick keys and set "S" to RESHAPE and set "Shift+S" to Select.  (or just drop the "Shift+S" for SELECT because RESHAPE will still select objects of any type.) 

Edited by Blars
Link to comment
3 minutes ago, Blars said:

I agree that the SELECT tool should "RESHAPE" as a default.  I found a way to solve this by remapping your quick key for the RESHAPE tool in place off the Select tool.  So if SELECT was "S" and RESHAPE was "Shift+S", flip the quick keys and set "S" to RESHAPE and set "Shift+S" to Select.  (or just drop the "Shift+S" for SELECT because RESHAPE will still select objects of any type.) 

I'm sure you're aware of this, but you can double click on any editable object (eg. poly line, polygon) with the selection tool to automatically activate the reshape tool.

KM

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...