********* Selecting ********* This page discusses specific selecting tools for curve objects in Edit mode. The Curve Edit more also uses the general select tools used which are described in the :doc:`interface section `. Curve selection in *Edit Mode* has fewer options than with meshes. Mainly this is, because there is only one selectable element type, the control points (no select mode needed here...). These points are a bit more complex than simple vertices, however, especially for Bézier curves, as there is the central vertex, and its two handles... The basic tools are the same as with :doc:`meshes `, so you can select a simple control point with the :kbd:`LMB`, add to current selection with :kbd:`Shift-LMB`, Box Select :kbd:`B`, and so on. One word about the Bézier control points: when you select the main central vertex, the two handles are automatically selected too, so you can move it as a whole, without creating an angle in the curve. However, when you select a handle, only this vertex is selected, allowing you to modify this control vector... Note that, unlike mesh edges, you cannot directly select a segment. Instead, select all of the control points that make up the segment you want to edit. Select Menu =========== With curves, all "advanced" selection options are grouped in the *Select* menu of the 3D Viewport header. All :kbd:`A` Select all. None :kbd:`Alt-A` Select none. Inverse :kbd:`Ctrl-I` Selects all the geometry that are not selected, and deselect currently selected components. ------------------------ :ref:`Box Select ` :kbd:`B` Interactive box selection. :ref:`Circle Select ` :kbd:`C` Interactive circle selection. ------------------------ `Select Random`_ Select random control points. `Checker Deselect`_ Select every Nth control point. `Select Linked`_ :kbd:`Ctrl-L` Select control points that are connected to the current selection. `Select Similar`_ :kbd:`Shift-G` Select control points that have similar properties to the current selection. ------------------------ `(De)select First/Last`_ Toggle the selection of the first or last control point(s). `Select Next/Previous`_ Selects the next or previous control points. ------------------------ `Select More/Less`_ Select objects based on their parent child relationships. Select Random ============= .. admonition:: Reference :class: refbox :Mode: Edit Mode :Menu: :menuselection:`Select --> Select Random` Select Random control points. Percent Selects the defined percentage of control points. Random Seed :term:`Seed` used by the pseudo-random number generator. Action Controls whether the operator *Selects* or *Deselects* control points. Checker Deselect ================ .. admonition:: Reference :class: refbox :Mode: Edit Mode :Menu: :menuselection:`Select --> Checker Deselect` This tool applies an alternating selected/deselected checker pattern. This only works if you already have more than one control point selected. It works by changing the current selection so that only every Nth control points will remain selected, starting from the active one. Nth Selection Skip every Nth element leaving it selected. Skip Number of consecutive elements to skip (keep selected) at once. Offset Offset from the starting point. Select Linked ============= .. admonition:: Reference :class: refbox :Mode: Edit Mode :Menu: :menuselection:`Select --> Select Linked` :Hotkey: :kbd:`L`, :kbd:`Ctrl-L`, :kbd:`Shift-L` :kbd:`L` (or :kbd:`Ctrl-L` for all) will add to the selection the cursor's nearest control point, and all the linked ones, i.e. all points belonging to the same curve. Note that for Bézier, using :kbd:`L` with a handle selected will select the whole control point and all the linked ones. Select Similar ============== .. admonition:: Reference :class: refbox :Mode: Edit Mode :Menu: :menuselection:`Select --> Select Similar` :Hotkey: :kbd:`Shift-G` Selects control points that have certain similar properties to the active one. The :ref:`ui-undo-redo-adjust-last-operation` panel provides several selection options: Type Type Selects splines that have the same spline Type i.e. Bézier, NURBS or Poly. Radius Selects control points that have a similar Radius value. Weight Selects all points that have a similar Weight value. Direction Selects control points that have a similar handles direction. Compare Equal, Greater, Less. (only for Radius, Weight) (ToDo 2.76) Threshold Precision (ToDo 2.76) (De)select First/Last ===================== .. admonition:: Reference :class: refbox :Mode: Edit Mode :Menu: :menuselection:`Select --> (De)select First`, :menuselection:`Select --> (De)select Last` These operators will toggle the selection of the first or last control point(s) of the curve(s) in the object. This is useful to quickly find the start of a curve (e.g. when using it as path...). Select Next/Previous ==================== .. admonition:: Reference :class: refbox :Mode: Edit Mode :Menu: :menuselection:`Select --> Select Next`, :menuselection:`Select --> Select Previous` These operators will select the next or previous control point(s), based on the current selection (i.e. the control points following or preceding the selected ones along the curve). In case of a cyclic curve, the first and last points are not considered as neighbors. Select More/Less ================ .. admonition:: Reference :class: refbox :Mode: Edit Mode :Menu: :menuselection:`Select --> More/Less` :Hotkey: :kbd:`Ctrl-NumpadPlus`, :kbd:`Ctrl-NumpadMinus` Their purpose, based on the currently selected control points, is to reduce or enlarge this selection. More For each selected control point, select *all* its linked points (i.e. one or two...). Less For each selected control point, if *all* points linked to this point are selected, keep this one selected. Otherwise, de-select it. This implies two points: #. When *all* control points of a curve are selected, nothing will happen (as for *Less*, all linked points are always selected, and of course, *More* cannot add any). Conversely, the same goes when no control points are selected. #. Second, these tools will never "go outside" of a curve (they will never "jump" to another curve in the same object). Pick Shortest Path ================== .. admonition:: Reference :class: refbox :Mode: Edit Mode :Menu: :menuselection:`Operator Search --> Pick Shortest Path` :Hotkey: :kbd:`Ctrl-LMB` Selects the curve segments between two control points: the active and the one under the cursor. In the case of a closed curve, the shortest path will be selected.