select whats inside the selection area only?

[theotrain]

does Illustrator give you the option of using the select tool in a way that it only selects what falls FULLY inside the selection marquee, instead of everything it touches?

often im working on a page which is basically a bunch of items on a colored box (background), if i want to drag-select some of the items on the page, i then have to unselect the background i didnt want to select in the first place. (or i can first switch to outline view) over time i've probably spent hours unselecting crap i never needed to select. does everyone just live with this? i dont see any options in preferences?

im more used to corelDraw, and this has been a long time irritant.

thanks!

 

[itchybug]

Theo:

There's no such option that I'm aware of, but alternatively you have the following options:

1. Develop a discipline of putting items on separate layers as is appropriate (i.e. create a "background" layer and subsequent layers as needed). For the majority of real illustration work, this is key and it tells anyone else using/viewing the file that you know what you're doing, plus it makes it infinitely easier to work on the file;

2. You can target objects using the layers palette (expand sublayers, which are essentially objects and groups), rather than selecting on the artboard. Naming objects in the layers palette can be really helpful;

3. Use actions to select objects with shared "notes" in the attributes palette, read the manual to learn how to utilize the "notes" function;

4. Lock items that you don't want to select.

HTH

Bert

Bert Philippus -

http://www.itchybug.com

 

[theotrain]

thanks b,

well at least i can be pretty sure the option doesnt exist. like i said im used to using corelDraw which has a pretty lousy layers pallete which i avoid. layers in Illustrator are much better but im just not in the habit of using them unless its absolutely neccessary. just need to change that habit. thanks!

>o

 

[itchybug]

Theo:

You'll learn to love it.

Bert

Bert Philippus -

http://www.itchybug.com

 

[Eggles]

theo

itchybug has answered your question very well and I would just like to endorse his comments. I found the biggest irritation with Illustrator is the 'sensitivity' of the selection tool, and the only way round the issue is to use layers for EVERY NEW OBJECT. Name the layers as you go and you will not have the problem of selecting specific things in the future.