The Area Select function is a tool within the Tools area of the HOME tab. It is used to select many items at a time by drawing a polygon around them and selecting everything within it.
Quick Usage Guide
- Click on the Area Select button.
- Within the Viewport, left-click around the items you want to select to create a highlighted selection area.
- Right-click to finish your Area Select.
- All items within the Area Select are highlighted (selected) and can be modified or deleted all at once.
How the Area Select Function Works
Features within the green Area Select box are shown as selected after ending Area Select by right-clicking. Selected items are shown as having green "halos" in the Viewport and are also highlighted orange in the Project View.
More complex areas can be selected by left-clicking around your desired area as many times as needed and finishing the selection with right-click.
The Area Select tool can also be used from oblique views (vertical terrain, steep slopes, through vegetation, around corners, etc.), to capture vertically placed items or even hard-to-see items.
The Area Select boundary cannot intersect itself and shows the boundary outline as Orange—instead of Green—if intersecting. If the boundary intersects, you cannot end the selection with right-click.
Most common uses
- Select areas of points from the Point Grid tool output to remove unwanted points.
- Select features of a common type to have a new Descriptor, Next Number, or Layer applied.
Tips and Tricks
- All selected items also show up in the Project View table, highlighted in orange.
- Hold Ctrl when digitizing around points to cancel geometry snapping.
- Press Backspace to remove the last point created during the area select drawing.
- Hold Shift + Left-click and drag your cursor to create a rectangular selection of all items in that area.
- Sometimes, it is easier to create general polygons and replace points or features included in selection than to try and accurately digitize around everything.