Option to "touch select" or lasso maybe needed (solved!)

[Cartoonjosh]

I realise this is probably a matter of taste, but to me Designer's "cover" selection method (I can't think of a better way to describe the action) versus the "touch" selection method in other apps is a little cumbersome. If I want to select multiple objects in Designer, I find myself having to click on each one, which can be a slow and fidgety process. This is particularly problematic when the objects you want to select are very close to other objects you don't want to select. "Cover" selecting a whole area will, conversely, catch either all pieces, usually also ones I don't want to select. Maybe Im missing out on something, but as far as I've searched there's no such thing as a  lasso tool or a neater way to select stuff.

[walt.farrell]

Perhaps you should set this option in Preferences:

[Cartoonjosh]

Aha, yes! Great, thank you, that's it! I suppose a lasso tool would still come in handy for those cases in which one needs to go in and around objects, but this preference no doubt does what I need. Thanks a lot. I will add "solved" to the title of this topic, in case other people have the same question

[walt.farrell]

You're welcome.

[Tupaia]

Tip: when you have drawn the selection marquee and hold the right mouse button when releasing the left mouse button (yes, finger acrobatics), it will toggle this option.

In other words, when the preference is off, and you hold RMB when releasing the LMB, it will 'intersect select' nonetheless. Windows here - don't know the Mac shortcut.

 

Note: There would be better ways to toggle this selection behavior. In many CAD applications or 3D programs, if you draw the marquee from right to left, it selects in 'crossing'='intersect' mode, if you draw it from left to right, it selects in 'window' mode. Super handy! I wish it was the same here.

At least, there should be a modifier key (like ALT) to toggle.

 

[Cartoonjosh]

17 hours ago, Tupaia said:

Tip: when you have drawn the selection marquee and hold the right mouse button when releasing the left mouse button (yes, finger acrobatics), it will toggle this option.

In other words, when the preference is off, and you hold RMB when releasing the LMB, it will 'intersect select' nonetheless. Windows here - don't know the Mac shortcut.

 

Note: There would be better ways to toggle this selection behavior. In many CAD applications or 3D programs, if you draw the marquee from right to left, it selects in 'crossing'='intersect' mode, if you draw it from left to right, it selects in 'window' mode. Super handy! I wish it was the same here.

At least, there should be a modifier key (like ALT) to toggle.

 

Very useful indeed. I had to fiddle around a while to find the corresponding key action, because I use a Mac +Pen & Wacom tablet. For me, the shortcut you suggest translates into: drag (with pen) while holding ctrl + alt.  This is cool because I can have both methods (I am not against the default selection, it's just not practical in some instances). Thanks for the great tip!

[fde101]

22 hours ago, Tupaia said:

if you draw the marquee from right to left, it selects in 'crossing'='intersect' mode, if you draw it from left to right, it selects in 'window' mode

Maybe if you drag from the bottom up it could act like a knife tool, separate the objects that straddle the border and select exactly what is inside?

Then the RMB could be repurposed to rotate the marquee being dragged out while held down...