How can I drag my mouse and make multiple selections once again?

[Wayne Burrows]

Up until a few months ago, before installing one of Affinity's updates, I used to be able to simply click/drag my mouse and select whatever objects that I wanted to choose for whatever purpose. Once I noticed that something had changed with that particular feature, I just ignored it for the most part and started circumventing it by holding CTRL and selecting whatever objects I needed. It has now come to the point that at times, picking objects one by one is noticeably putting a damper on my overall workflow - Especially when all of the objects that I want to select are all literally sitting right next to one another. I've tried to find out what changed so that I can tweak whatever setting is required to recapture that feature, but I haven't come across anything helpful as of yet.

Could someone please enlighten me on what I need to do in order to once again, simply drag my mouse over a group of objects in order to select them??

WB

[bbrother]

Normaly to select multiple object on the canvas you need to drag the cursor  and draw a marquee arround the objects.

However, there is an option in Settings → Tools → [Select object when intersects with selection marquee] that makes it easier to select multiple objects. Namely, if it is turned on, all you need to do is for the selection marquee to intersect with the objects and and they will be selected. No need to be careful and draw a marquee around the objects so that they are completely inside the selection.

Check it out, maybe this is the way you want to select objects. (see video below how it works)

 

 

[Wayne Burrows]

10 hours ago, bbrother said:

However, there is an option in Settings → Tools → [Select object when intersects with selection marquee] that makes it easier to select multiple objects. Namely, if it is turned on, all you need to do is for the selection marquee to intersect with the objects and and they will be selected. No need to be careful and draw a marquee around the objects so that they are completely inside the selection.

I checked the box in settings and it behaves slightly different now but I still have issues with choosing objects individually. It looks as though it's due to the desired object already belonging to a group. If I drag my mouse over something, whatever group that object is a part of, that whole group will wind up being chosen, not just that individual object.

FYI -Before things wound up changing, I would have to fully drag over whatever objects that I wanted to include as opposed to simply covering only a portion of them with my marquee. I think that I would prefer reverting back to the 'old' way if that's possible at all. But if I'm able to get past this new hurdle, that would definitely suffice for the time being.

WB

[walt.farrell]

Try a different setting for the Auto-Select box on the Context Toolbar. 

https://affinity.help/publisher2/en-US.lproj/pages/Tools/tools_move.html

 

[bbrother]

As walt.farrel pointed out try a different option for Auto-select. In your case I would try [Objects] option
Bear in mind, that Auto-select dropdown shows up on the context toolbar when no objects are selected.

 

[Hangman]

16 hours ago, Wayne Burrows said:

I checked the box in settings and it behaves slightly different now but I still have issues with choosing objects individually. It looks as though it's due to the desired object already belonging to a group. If I drag my mouse over something, whatever group that object is a part of, that whole group will wind up being chosen, not just that individual object.

You need to ensure 'Select object when intersects with selection marquee' is not checked in Settings, hold the Alt key and marquee around the entirety of the objects you want to select i.e., outside the bounding boxes for all objects in the selection, then select the top, middle or bottom rows of text to select just those elements within the groups...

Use Alt Shift Marquee Drag to add to the selection...

The Auto-select option chosen is not relevant, this will work with any Auto-select option...

[Wayne Burrows]

6 hours ago, Hangman said:

You need to ensure 'Select object when intersects with selection marquee' is not checked in Settings, hold the Alt key and marquee around the entirety of the objects you want to select i.e., outside the bounding boxes for all objects in the selection, then select the top, middle or bottom rows of text to select just those elements within the groups...

The Auto-select option chosen is not relevant, this will work with any Auto-select option...

Ahhh, Success! Appreciate the input @Hangman This morning I started playing with it again and oddly enough for whatever reason, I do not have to keep 'Alt' depressed while choosing my objects. As you suggested, I unchecked 'Select object when intersects with selection marquee' and didn't bother to reset 'Auto-select' back to 'Objects' (I left it set as 'Default') and it now behaves just as you stated (and just how I wanted) while holding and while not holding the Alt key. Which is the exact behavior I was enjoying before one of the past updates tweaked something within my setting and prevented me from selecting objects in that manner. So now, very strangely, my setting are right back to how they were before I posted this question to begin with. Color me confused!! 🤔🤔

The only thing I can think of is that one of those past updates knocked something off kilter and with me toggling on & off, one or both of those settings that @walt.farrell & @bbrother had pointed me to, made this behavior return back to normal. Well... The normal that I had been enjoying anyway. You Good Folks have come through for me once again! I gotta say, this is an absolute great forum.

Til next time - Which could very well be within the next half-hour. 🤣

WB

[Hangman]

Hi @Wayne Burrows,

Glad all is working for you again...

If 'Objects' is selected as the 'Auto-select' option then the Alt key isn't required. If either 'Default' or 'Groups' are selected as the 'Auto-select' option then holding the Alt key will achieve the same thing and means you don't need to switch 'Auto-select' mode first... So you effectively have two ways to achieve the same thing depending on which 'Auto-select' mode is currently selected...