How to select objects by circling it without moving an object which is on the background?

[danezeq]

How to select object by circling it without moving an object which is on the background?

without locking the backgorund object.

[Jacob Bugge]

danezeq,

How about just Alt/OptionClicking it?

Until something is selected, Illy (job description Adobe Illustrator) will (be fooled to) believe that you wish to select what you click, in this case the topmost (background) object.

[danezeq]

Do you mean NOT to circle the objects?

[Jacob Bugge]

danezeq,

Do you mean NOT to circle the objects?

I did, but that was when you said object (meaning one object) which can be selected in full by Alt/OptionClicking with the Direct Selection Tool (sorry, I forgot to mention that), even if the object is part of a Group.

When you are saying objects, as in more than one, you can hold Shift from the beginning to select multiple objects by Alt/OptionClicking (or just Clicking with the Selection Tool if applicable).

[Monika Gause]

Try the lasso tool. But depends on the nature and position of the background object.

Without seeing even a screenshot, it's difficult to advise.

[danezeq]

Untitled Project - YouTube

[John Mensinger]

If, in attempting to marquee-select an object, you click/drag on a different live, unlocked object, you're going to move that other object; it's practically a 'law of physics'. Instead, you could:

• Lock the background object (not sure why you refuse to consider it)
• Marquee-select, starting away from both objects, dragging across both; press shift and repeat, stopping short of the object you want to leave selected
• Marquee-select, starting away from both objects, dragging across both; press shift and click on the background object to deselect it and leave the target object selected

[danezeq]

Thanks.

1. the first option is what i'm doing now. it's so time consuming..

2+3. In some cases the object at background is very big and i have to select small objects "inside" it. zooming out being able to select the big object will cause not being  able to select the small objects.

Sorry for the language...

[John Mensinger]

Your English is fine.

Yes, my suggestions 2 and 3 aren't good for every scenario.

danezeq  wrote

1. the first option is what i'm doing now. it's so time consuming..

Hmmm, I'm always locking and hiding objects to make things easier. The key shortcuts make it really quick and easy.

Are you using them?

• Ctrl+2 = Lock
• Ctrl+Alt+2 = Unlock
• Ctrl+3 = Hide
• Ctrl+Alt+3 = Unhide

[Kurt Gold]

Probably danezeq is just looking for a straightforward way to choose between two selection routines which have been well-established in other vector drawing applications for decades:

Selection routine 1: Selection marquee will select any object that is being "touched" by the marquee (standard Illustrator behaviour).

Selection routine 2: Selection marquee will select only objects that are fully enclosed by the marquee (still not available in Illustrator).

Normally, in other programmes there is a modifier key to toggle both routines.

This kind of selection routines have been requested in this forum for decades to no avail. In Illustrator one still has to use cumbersome workarounds to get something that is roughly comparable.

Locking and unlocking objects may be sufficient in some cases, but the fact that the default shortcuts for unlocking or unhiding objects will unlock and show ALL locked or hidden objects (that were locked or hidden at the object level) may be often just unwanted and time-killing behaviour.

[danezeq]

Thats so true.

i use to work on Autocad.

[Larry G. Schneider]

After 30 years of using AI, I still have mine set to Selection by Path Only. No background selected with this enabled.

[Kurt Gold]

I think you know that this is somehow true and somehow not true at all, Larry.

For example, if you have enabled the centre points for objects in the Attributes palette, you will sooner or later select objects that you do not want to select, no matter if Selection by Path Only is enabled or disabled.

It may help a bit in some cases, but let's face it, it is just another workaround.

[meganchi]

Could you select everything, then use your arrow tool, hold down shift key and select the big object to deselect it? That will result in all of the small objects being selected.