QUESTION
How do I select a group of objects? Alternatively, I have selected a number of objects in my drawing and would like to de-select just one of these objects, while leaving the remainder of them selected. Is this possible?
ANSWER
You can select a group of objects using simple keyboard commands, dragging a selection box around a set of items, or by using the Marquee Select Similar edit tool. When a number of items have been group-selected, a single item within the group can be de-selected by holding down the Ctrl/Command key on your keyboard and clicking on that item.
To group select objects using the Shift key
- Using the Select Objects
tool, click on one of the objects that will be part of a group selection to select it.
- When it is highlighted, hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and click on each of the remaining objects until all are selected.A marquee will display around the selected objects, and will expand to include each object added to the group.
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- This selection of objects can now be moved, deleted, or modified further.
To group select objects using a selection marquee
- Click on the Select Objects
tool.
- Click and drag a selection marquee around the objects you would like to select.

- When you release the mouse button, the objects within the selection marquee will be selected as a group.
To make marquee selection easier, you can turn off the display of objects you do not want to include in your selection set. Please see the Related Articles section below to learn more.
To group select objects using the Marquee Select Similar edit tool
- Using the Select Objects
tool, click on an object to select it, such as a cabinet.
- Click the Marquee Select Similar
edit button on the Edit toolbar.
- Click the Select All Similar
button to automatically add all similar objects to the group selection, or;
- With the Restrictive Selection
button active, draw a selection marquee across the plan to add similar objects within the selection marquee to the group selection.
To remove a single item from a group selection
- With the grouped objects selected, hold down the Ctrl/Command key on your keyboard, then click on the object that you want to remove from the group selection.
- The object will become deselected and will no longer be highlighted.
