Direct selection tool will not select points

[Steve Fermor]

Hello everyone,

First posting here, so I hope it works.

I have drawn a square in InDesign, and want to select one of the corner points to distort it. I assumed the direct selection tool would do this, but it is completely unable to select any of the points. Does anyone know how to do this?

Thanks

[winterm · Accepted solution]

Your rectangle shouldn't be selected in 'normal' way (with Selection tool). Use Direct Selection tool on a figure that is not selected (or selected with Direct Selection tool).

[jane-e]

winterm's answer is correct. To clarify further, if all of the anchor points are selected – – or solid – – then the direct selection tool won't work as you are expecting it to. Deselect first and then come back with your direct selection tool and get just the one anchor point.

[winterm]

Thank You, jane-e

They say, picture tells a story...

[Barb Binder]

Great minds think alike.

Slower minds spend time finessing screen shots.

[winterm]

BarbBinder  wrote

spend time finessing screen shots.

... which are nice and clear, as usual

[Barb Binder]

They key to using the direct selection tool is knowing that the anchor points have two states: selected (solid) and deflected (hollow).

If you have a shape selected with the Selection tool, and then switch to the Direct Selection tool, all four anchors (on a rectangle) are selected. If you move one they all move.

Click away from the shape and then just clickon one anchor to move it. See how the other three are hollow/unselected?

[Bill Silbert]

If the Direct Selection tool is working normally you should be able to simply click on any point of a drawn object and select it. If the entire shape is selected first with the regular selection tool then it won't work. If you've clicked on an unselected object with the direct selection tool then all of the points of that object should appear hollow and clicking on any of those will turn that point solid. If this is not working then you may need to delete your InDesign preference file. To do this on a Mac close InDesign and open a Finder window in column view click on your Home folder and with the option key pressed choose Library from the Finder Go menu. Then follow the screen shot below and delete the two files that are highlighted:

To delete the preferences on a PC launch Indesign with Alt-Crtl-Shift pressed.

Once the preferences are deleted any corruption, if it exists, should be gone.

[Steve Fermor]

I'm sorry Bill,

For some reason I had no notifications to this post and thought it ignored. I've just tried what you suggested and it works. It's a strange anomaly in behaviour and I'm not sure why it was authored that way. I got it working periodically, and now I know why - I'd gone straight in with the Direct Selection tool by chance.

Thanks so much, and to Winterm and BarbBinder too.

[Bill Silbert]

Better late than never. Happy to help.

[Barb Binder]

We are always happy to help.

[jane-e]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Steve+Fermor  wrote

For some reason I had no notifications to this post and thought it ignored.

Here is the direct link to your post with all of the responses:

Direct selection tool will not select points

.

[NLFlowers]

@Adobe Please, fix this. Direct selection tool should directly select control points regardles of whether the object is already selected. This is stupid. This is broken. This is still broken. Please, fix. Thanks.

[rob day]

The original post is 7 years old. If you want Adobe to see your request post here:

https://indesign.uservoice.com/

[NLFlowers]

Thank you. All I really wanted was to submit a feature request. Request submitted.

[jane-e]

Thank you. All I really wanted was to submit a feature request. Request submitted.

By @NLFlowers

Posting to an eight-year-old discussion thread does not submit a feature request to Adobe employees, and your request has not been submitted until you follow the directions from Rob and post to uservoice.

Jane

[HARSHIKA_VERMA]

Hi NLFlowers,

Thanks for submitting the request. Could you please share the UserVoice link here as well? This will help others who are interested in the same feature to track its progress and upvote the idea.

Thanks,

Harshika