Selecting and Deselecting Objects

You select objects in your sketch to drag them, to apply menu commands to them, or to manipulate or modify them with the Motion Controller or the Text Palette.

At any point in time, your selections determine which menu commands are available at that point. For example, you can use the Midpoint command in the Construct menu when you have a segment selected, but not when you have a circle, a point, a line, or a ray selected.

When a command is not available, it appears gray in the menu and cannot be chosen. Often this means your current selection is not appropriate for that command.

Your selections also determine how dragging works. If you select and drag both endpoints of a segment, the entire segment moves as a unit, with no change in its length or direction. But if you select and drag only one endpoint, the other endpoint remains fixed and the segment’s length and slope change as you drag.

Selected objects appear outlined, or with special marks, as in the following illustrations.

Unselected Objects

Selected Objects

To select or deselect objects using a Selection Arrow tool:

· Select an unselected object by positioning the tip of the Selection Arrow over the object and clicking it.

The Arrow flips horizontal when it’s pointing at an object.

· Select additional objects by clicking each object in turn.

· Deselect a single selected object the same way, by positioning the tip of the Selection Arrow over the object and clicking on it.

· Deselect all objects by clicking in empty space in the sketch.

You can also deselect all objects by pressing the Esc key one or more times.

In addition, you can:

· Select one of several overlapping or coincident objects by clicking repeatedly until the desired object is selected.

· Select or deselect an action button by clicking its handle, not its body.

Clicking the body of an action button doesn’t select it, but instead performs the action associated with the button.

· Select multiple objects simultaneously by enclosing them in a selection rectangle.

You can also select objects by using Select All, Select Parents, or Select Children from the Edit menu or by navigating to them using the Object Properties dialog box. You can select moving points by choosing them from the Motion Controller’s Target menu.

Subtopics:
Selecting Objects Using a Selection Rectangle
Selecting Overlapping Objects