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How to create a selection set in AutoCAD?

Published in AutoCAD Object Selection 6 mins read

Creating a selection set in AutoCAD is fundamental for editing and manipulating objects, allowing you to choose one or more entities to apply commands. You can build selection sets using various intuitive methods, from direct clicks to powerful window and polygon options.

Core Methods for Creating Selection Sets

AutoCAD offers a flexible range of tools to select objects efficiently, whether you need to pick a single item or thousands.

1. Direct Selection

The simplest way to select an object is by clicking on it directly.

  • Single Object: Click on an object to select it. It will highlight, and grips will appear.
  • Multiple Objects: Continue clicking on additional objects to add them to your selection set.
  • Deselect: To deselect an object from the set, hold down the Shift key and click on the selected object. To clear all selections, press the Esc key or start a new command.

2. Window and Crossing Selections

These methods are ideal for selecting multiple objects within a defined rectangular area.

  • Window Selection (W):

    • Click an empty space, then drag your cursor to the right. A solid blue rectangle will appear.
    • Any object entirely enclosed within this blue window will be added to the selection set.
    • You can also type W at the "Select objects:" prompt and press Enter to initiate a window selection.

  • Crossing Window Selection (C):

    • Click an empty space, then drag your cursor to the left. A dashed green rectangle will appear.
    • Any object entirely enclosed or crossed by this green window will be added to the selection set. This is a very common and efficient method for bulk selection.
    • You can also type C at the "Select objects:" prompt and press Enter to initiate a crossing selection.

3. Polygon Selections: Window Polygon (WP) and Crossing Polygon (CP)

For more precise area-based selections that aren't rectangular, you can use polygon options. These allow you to define an irregular boundary.

  • Window Polygon (WP):

    • At the "Select objects:" prompt, type WP and press Enter.
    • Click a series of points to define an enclosed polygon shape.
    • Press Enter again to close the polygon.
    • Similar to the regular Window selection, only objects entirely contained within this polygon will be selected. This is particularly useful when objects are tightly grouped or boundaries are irregular. For instance, you can click and drag your cursor, and instead of a simple rectangle, by typing WP, you create a window polygon.

  • Crossing Polygon (CP):

    • At the "Select objects:" prompt, type CP and press Enter.
    • Click a series of points to define an enclosed polygon shape.
    • Press Enter again to close the polygon.
    • Similar to the regular Crossing Window selection, any object entirely contained within or crossed by this polygon will be selected.

4. Fence Selection (F)

The Fence option allows you to draw a temporary polyline (fence) that selects all objects it crosses.

  • At the "Select objects:" prompt, type F and press Enter.
  • Click points to draw a line segment or a series of segments.
  • Press Enter to complete the fence. All objects that the fence line crosses will be selected.

5. Last and Previous Selections

These commands are excellent for re-using existing selection sets.

  • Last Selection (L):

    • At the "Select objects:" prompt, type L and press Enter.
    • This selects the last object or set of objects that you created. This is useful if you accidentally deselect or need to re-select a recently drawn or modified object.

  • Previous Selection (P):

    • At the "Select objects:" prompt, type P and press Enter.
    • This re-selects the most recently used selection set, regardless of the command that used it. This is invaluable if you need to apply multiple commands to the same group of objects without re-selecting them manually each time.

6. All Selection (ALL)

To select every single object in your current drawing space, use the ALL option.

  • At the "Select objects:" prompt, type ALL and press Enter.
  • Every visible, unlocked object in the drawing will be selected.

7. Filtered Selections

For more advanced selection needs, AutoCAD provides powerful filtering tools.

  • Quick Select (QSELECT):

    • Type QSELECT in the command line and press Enter, or access it via the Properties palette.
    • This dialog box allows you to filter objects based on properties like object type (e.g., circles, lines, text), color, layer, linetype, and more. You can specify operators (equals, not equal, greater than) to fine-tune your selection.
    • This is highly effective for selecting specific categories of objects without manually picking them. For more details, refer to the Autodesk Knowledge Network.

  • FILTER Command:

    • Type FILTER in the command line and press Enter.
    • This opens a dialog box where you can create named selection filters based on a variety of object properties. These filters can be saved and reused. While more complex than Quick Select, it's powerful for recurring filtering tasks.

8. Add and Remove Options

When you are in a selection prompt, you can dynamically add or remove objects from your current set.

  • Add (A): At the "Select objects:" prompt, type A and press Enter. All subsequent selections will add objects to the set. This is often the default behavior.
  • Remove (R): At the "Select objects:" prompt, type R and press Enter. All subsequent selections will remove objects from the current selection set. This is very useful for refining a broad selection.

Summary of Common Selection Methods

Method Description Command Prompt Input Behavior
Direct Click Click individual objects. N/A Selects clicked objects.
Window Drag cursor Right (solid blue rectangle). W Selects objects fully inside the window.
Crossing Drag cursor Left (dashed green rectangle). C Selects objects inside or crossing the window.
Window Polygon Define an irregular polygon. WP Selects objects fully inside the polygon.
Crossing Polygon Define an irregular polygon. CP Selects objects inside or crossing the polygon.
Fence Draw a crossing line. F Selects objects crossed by the fence.
Last Selects the most recently created object. L Selects the single last object.
Previous Re-selects the entire last selection set. P Selects the previous set of objects.
All Selects all visible, unlocked objects in the drawing. ALL Selects everything.
Quick Select Filters objects by properties using a dialog box. QSELECT Selects objects matching specific criteria.

Practical Tips for Effective Selection

  • Zoom and Pan: Use your mouse wheel to zoom in and out and pan to better isolate objects for selection.
  • Object Snaps: When selecting specific points on objects (e.g., endpoints, midpoints), use object snaps (Osnaps) for precision.
  • Combine Methods: Often, the most efficient selection involves starting with a broad method (like Crossing) and then refining it with Shift+Click to deselect unwanted items or using the Remove (R) option.
  • Layers: Utilizing layers to turn off or freeze objects can greatly simplify selection in dense drawings.

By mastering these selection techniques, you can significantly enhance your efficiency and precision when working with AutoCAD drawings.

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