Graphic Selection Methods

Select objects by clicking and dragging in graphic views in these ways:

Rectangle and Polygon Selection Modes

Because the objects that you want to select rarely lie within a north/south east/west rectangle, there are several modes of selection with the mouse:

Using a rectangular selection boundary - The Rectangle Select mode is the default. To draw a rectangular selection boundary, choose Rectangle Select in the Status Bar. Then click-and-drag in a graphic view to draw the selection boundary.
Using a polygonal selection boundary - To draw a polygonal selection boundary, choosePolygon Select in the Status Bar. Then click-and-drag in graphic view, releasing the mouse at each corner you want to define for the polygon. Double-click to close the selection boundary and end your selection. If the polygon is created clockwise, then only objects inside the polygon are selected; if created counter-clockwise, then all of the crossing and inside objects are selected. Selected objects remain selected even if the objects are off the screen.
Using a freehand selection boundary - To draw a freehand selection boundary, select Polygon Select in the Status Bar (or press [F6]). Click on the starting point in the graphic view and hold the mouse button down, press and hold the [Alt] key, drag your mouse slightly, release the mouse button, then drag your mouse to draw the freehand boundary. Double-click to close the boundary and end your selection.
To draw a freehand fence, select Polygon Select in the Status Bar (or press F6). Click on the starting point in the graphic view and hold the mouse button down, press and hold the Alt key, drag your mouse slightly, release the mouse key, then drag your mouse to draw the freehand fence. Double-click to close the fence and end your selection.
When selecting objects in a graphic view, you can press the Ctrl key when you make your first object pick and all of the objects contained in the same group as the picked object (for example, sheets, labels, side slopes, and so on) will be selected.

To add objects to, or remove objects from, your selection set, press the Ctrl key and left click or drag to select the objects you want to add or remove. To add objects to your selection set, press the Shift key and left click or drag to select the objects you want to add.


Options
Windowing	Click and drag a box from left to right. All of the objects entirely within the box are selected.
Crossing	Click and drag a box from right to left. All of the objects within the box and crossed by the box are selected.

In graphic views, there are also two context menu options that you can access by right-clicking when you have data selected.


Options
Previous selection	Select this to clear the current selection and reselect select the objects last selected.
Clear selection	Select this to deselect all objects.

The appearance of the cursor will change in graphic views, depending on the control you are using. When you are using a COGO control, the name of the control will also appear on the status bar. The status line's tooltip lists ways in which you can use the control.


Cursor Types
	Pick any point.
	Pick any point or applicable object (arc, line, segment, point).
	Pick any applicable object.
	No anchor point has been defined.
	The pick function is unavailable, or the object you are trying to pick is invalid. Often, you can click a blank space in the Project Explorer to refresh the pick cursor for the graphic views.