Selecting Elements - SmartSketch - Help

SmartSketch Help

Language
English
Product
SmartSketch
Search by Category
Help
SmartSketch Version
8.1(2014R1)

To select an element, you must use Select Tool at the top of the Draw toolbar. You can select lines, arcs, or annotations, such as dimensions or fills. You can also select element groups, embedded or linked objects, symbols, or handles on elements that indicate relationships.

Selecting Single Elements

To select an element, you can click the Select Tool on the Draw toolbar.

When you click Select Tool, the pointer changes to an arrow with a locate zone indicator at the end. As you move the pointer, any element that the locate zone passes over is displayed in the highlight color. When an element is highlighted, you can click to select it.

When you select an individual element, the following things happen:

  • The element changes to the selection color. You can change the selection color using Options on the Tools menu.

  • The element's handles are displayed. Handles are solid squares at significant positions on a selected element, such as end points and center points. Handles allow you to directly modify the element—drag a handle to change the element's shape. Although you can select more than one element at a time, only one element can have handles at a time.

  • The element's important properties are displayed on a ribbon.

  • If the element is linked or embedded into the current document, selecting it allows you to double-click it for editing.

When you select multiple elements or grouped elements, they change to the selection color.

Selecting Multiple Elements

You can select more than one element at a time by clicking the Select Tool and then holding the SHIFT or CTRL key as you click the elements you want to select. Or, you can click the Select Tool and then drag the mouse to fence elements.

You can use the ribbon to select whether you want only elements completely enclosed by the fence to be selected or any element that is partly enclosed by the fence. Many manipulation commands, like delete, move, copy, and rotate, act upon all elements in the selection set.

Selecting an Element That Overlaps Other Elements

If you want to select an element that overlaps other elements, and you cannot highlight the element you want by moving the pointer over it, you can use a tool called QuickPick. To use it, hover the pointer over the exact intersection of the elements. When the software displays an ellipsis, or three small circles, by the pointer, you can left-click or right-click to display a small toolbar that shows the number of selectable elements. You can move the pointer over the numbers; and, when the element that you want highlights, you can click on the corresponding number to select it.

Clearing Elements

To clear an element or a group of elements, you can click any point on the drawing sheet.