Selecting Multiple Objects

[EssentialParadox]

I’m a bit confused about selecting multiple objects. The help document says the following:

 

“With the Move Tool selected, tap a layer's contents on the document to select it. Now tap-hold for one second, then tap additional layer contents on the document to select them in turn.”

 

But I cannot seem to get this to work, I just end up deselecting the previous layer. Can anyone clarify how to do this? Thanks!

[Lee D]

Hi EssentialParadox,

Welcome to the forums.

 

I think the information in the help file could so with a little bit of editing. To select multiple objects using the Move Tool, tap the first object to select. Now tap and hold the next object and slightly move your finger and they will then show highlighted.

 

[EssentialParadox]

Thanks Lee. I managed to get that to work to highlight multiple objects, but every time I slightly move my finger to trigger the highlighting, I end up moving them slightly. I’m guessing it’s not possible to select multiple objects in this way without moving them?

 

Thanks!

[JustARalf]

Problem:
I know for a fact that as little as three months ago I had mastered the ability to select more than one object in Affinity Photo on my iPad. Today however I have spent roughly an hour as of now unsuccessfully googling how to get it done again. Here's what I keep finding: select the first object, then tap, hold and slightly move the finger on the desired second object and bingo: the first object is de-selected while the second one slightly moves... so please can anyone please explain in very, very simple terms how this obviously highly complex mission can be accomplished?

Solution:
Tap and hold one object then use a second finger to select any number of additional objects.

Side note: with an iPad connected to a keyboard would it be too complicated to support the old press-the-shift-key-and-click-the-next-object trick that works pretty much everywhere else?

Edited December 3, 2018 by JustARalf
Found a solution myself

[EssentialParadox]

I might be wrong as I’m not at my iPad to test but isn’t it multiple fingers now, akin to what Apple introduced in iOS 12?

So, tap one object and hold, then tap other objects with another finger.

Another option is to use the layers panel and swipe across the layers to select multiple.

[JustARalf]

2 hours ago, EssentialParadox said:

I might be wrong as I’m not at my iPad to test but isn’t it multiple fingers now, akin to what Apple introduced in iOS 12?

So, tap one object and hold, then tap other objects with another finger.

Another option is to use the layers panel and swipe across the layers to select multiple.

Thanks a lot for the hint to swipe across the layers panel.

[Celia at Grafted Works]

I have a similar question. I have 100+ small, overlapping objects nested inside a larger object. Without moving the parent object, I want to move the small objects all at once, but they aren’t grouped. How can I select them without having to slide across 100+ object names in my layers panel? I tried selecting one in the layers panel and then holding down a finger to select the one at the bottom (like holding shift on the desktop version), but the app doesn’t appear to have this functionality.

Any ideas?

[DM1]

On 2/22/2020 at 10:59 AM, Cealcrest said:

Any ideas?

Tap to select first layer to select. Using two fingers, single tap on last layer you want to select. This will include all layers between first selected and last selected.

[Celia at Grafted Works]

Wait. Hold everything. How did you pull up that nifty help panel? I’ve been stumbling around guided by my knowledge of the desktop app and the affinity tutorials. Could not find the help panel anywhere...

also, thank you for answering my original question 😁

[Celia at Grafted Works]

16 minutes ago, Cealcrest said:

Wait. Hold everything. How did you pull up that nifty help panel? I’ve been stumbling around guided by my knowledge of the desktop app and the affinity tutorials. Could not find the help panel anywhere...

also, thank you for answering my original question 😁

Found it! Thanks again