How Do I Select Multiple Walls in Archicad?

Selecting multiple walls in Archicad is a fundamental skill that significantly speeds up your modeling and editing process. Whether you need to select all walls on a floor, specific walls within an area, or walls with certain properties, Archicad offers several efficient methods.

1. Selecting All Walls on a Floor or in the Project

This method is incredibly useful for applying global changes or checking all instances of a specific element type.

To select all walls on your current floor or within your current view:

1. Activate the Wall Tool: Click on the Wall Tool icon in the Archicad Toolbox (typically on the left side of your screen). This tells Archicad that your subsequent selection action should pertain specifically to walls.
2. Use a Selection Command:
   • Keyboard Shortcut: Press Ctrl + A (on Windows) or Cmd + A (on macOS).
   • Menu Command: Go to the Edit menu in the top toolbar and choose Select All Walls.

This powerful Ctrl/Cmd + A command is not limited to walls; it works universally. If you have the Slab Tool active and press Ctrl/Cmd + A, all slabs on the current story will be selected. Similarly, for beams, objects, or any other element type.

2. Selecting Walls within a Specific Area (Marquee Tool)

When you only need to work on walls within a defined region, the Marquee tool is your best friend.

1. Activate the Marquee Tool: Select the Marquee Tool from the Archicad Toolbox.
2. Define Your Area:
   • Single Marquee: Click and drag to define a rectangular selection area.
   • Polygonal Marquee: Click multiple points to create a custom-shaped selection area.
3. Perform the Selection: Once the marquee area is defined, you have a few options:
   • With Wall Tool Active: While the Marquee is active, select the Wall Tool and then press Ctrl + A (or Cmd + A). This will select all walls only within the marquee area.
   • Using Find & Select: (See Method 4 for more details) You can use the "Find & Select" dialog to narrow down your selection to walls within the marquee, based on specific criteria.

3. Selecting Individual Walls (Shift-Click)

For selecting a few non-contiguous walls, the Shift-Click method is the most straightforward.

1. Activate the Arrow Tool (Selector Tool): Ensure the arrow tool is active in your Toolbox.
2. Click and Hold Shift: Click on the first wall you want to select. Then, hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and click on any other walls you wish to add to your selection.
3. Deselecting: If you accidentally select a wall, simply Shift-click on it again to deselect it while keeping others selected.

4. Advanced Selection with Find & Select

For more complex selection criteria, Archicad's "Find & Select" feature is indispensable. This allows you to select elements based on their properties, such as layer, material, height, ID, or other attributes.

1. Open Find & Select: Go to Edit > Find & Select... (or use the shortcut Ctrl + F / Cmd + F).
2. Define Criteria:
   • Click the Add button (+) to add new criteria.
   • Choose the element type (e.g., Wall).
   • Select the property you want to filter by (e.g., Layer, Structure, Height, Fire Rating).
   • Specify the condition (e.g., is, is not, contains).
   • Enter the value (e.g., Exterior Walls, 200 mm, F2).
3. Execute Selection: Once your criteria are set, click the Select button. Archicad will then select all walls that match your defined properties.

Quick Comparison of Selection Methods

Method	Best For	How To
Ctrl/Cmd + A	All walls on the current story/view	1. Activate Wall Tool. 2. Press Ctrl + A (Windows) or Cmd + A (macOS).
Marquee Tool	Walls within a defined area	1. Activate Marquee Tool, draw area. 2. Activate Wall Tool. 3. Press Ctrl + A (or use Find & Select within the marquee).
Shift-Click	Specific, individual walls	1. Activate Arrow Tool. 2. Click first wall. 3. Hold Shift, click additional walls.
Find & Select	Walls with specific properties/attributes	1. Go to Edit > Find & Select.... 2. Define criteria (element type, properties, values). 3. Click Select.

Tips for Efficient Selection

• Deselecting: To deselect all elements, press the Esc key on your keyboard or click anywhere in an empty part of the workspace with the Arrow Tool active.
• Layer Visibility: Control which elements are visible by managing your Layer Settings (Ctrl + L / Cmd + L). Hiding unnecessary layers can make it easier to select specific elements.
• Suspend Groups: If walls are grouped, you might need to suspend groups (Alt + G / Option + G) to select individual walls within a group.
• Quick Select (Spacebar): Hover your mouse over an element and press the Spacebar to temporarily activate the Quick Select magnet. This helps you confirm which element will be selected before clicking, especially in dense areas.

By mastering these selection techniques, you'll navigate your Archicad projects with greater speed and precision, enhancing your overall productivity.