Select objects

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Before you can change an object, you must select it. You can select visible objects, hidden objects, a single object in a group or a nested group, and each object in the order in which it was created. You can also select all objects simultaneously and deselect objects.

A selection box appears around a selected object, and an "X" appears at its center.

You can select a single object in a group.

You can select all objects using the Pick tool. However, some tools allow you to select only objects that are appropriate to the active tool. For example, if a curve tool is active, you can select any curve object, but you cannot select other object types.

When you select an object, either a selection box, rotation and skew handles, or the object’s nodes appear. Clicking a selected object changes its selection mode. The selection modes are

You can drag, rotate, or shape the object by its snap points, depending on which selection mode is active. See Gravity snapping for a list of snap points.

To select objects

 

To select	Do the following
An object	Click the object using the Pick tool .
Multiple objects	Hold down Shift, and click each object that you want to select.
Multiple objects by using a marquee selection area of irregular shape	Click the Freehand pick tool , and drag around the objects that you want to select. Objects that are only partially enclosed by the selection area are not selected. To select objects that are only partially enclosed by the selection area, hold down Alt while dragging. To constrain the selection area to a rectangular shape, hold down Ctrl while dragging.
An object, starting with the first object created and moving toward the last object created	Press Shift + Tab until a selection box appears around the object that you want to select.
An object, starting with the last object created and moving toward the first object created	Press Tab until a selection box appears around the object that you want to select.
All objects	Press Ctrl + A. Or click Edit Select all Objects.
An object in a group	Hold down Ctrl, and click an object in a group.
An object in a nested group	Hold down Ctrl, and click the object that you want to select until a selection box appears around it.
A hidden object	Hold down Alt, and click the topmost object until a selection box appears around the hidden object that you want to select.
Multiple hidden objects	Hold down Shift + Alt, and click the topmost object until a selection box appears around the hidden objects that you want to select.
A hidden object in a group	Hold down Ctrl + Alt, and click the topmost object until a selection box appears around the hidden object that you want to select.

The status bar displays a description of each object as you select it.

You can also select one or more objects by dragging around the object or objects using the Pick tool. This method is called "marquee select."

If you hold down Alt while dragging, any objects you intersect are also selected.

To deselect objects

 

To deselect	Do the following
All objects	Press Esc. Or click the Pick tool , and click a blank space in the drawing window.
A single object in multiple selected objects	Hold down Shift, and click the object using the Pick tool.