I need to delete lots of objects from various areas of my image.
I can select the objects using the Alt drag and scribble the red selection line through all the objects and then delete them.
Trouble is, there are hundreds of these objects and it takes ages to scribble through/select them all. It does work but would be much quicker if I could select them by dragging a rectangle over the objects to select them all at once.
I've tried doing this but the rectangle select options but it just doesn't work.
If the selection rectangle is black, objects don't get selected - unless I use a huge selection rectangle, big enough to select everything on a layer.
If the selection rectangle is red, objects crossed by it are selected but for some reason this action selects the whole layer rather than individual objects.
How can I use rectangle select to select objects rather than everything on that objects layer.
Don't understand why the Alt drag scribble selects objects but rectangle select doesn't.
That explodes all the groups into seperate objects so I can now use the rectangular selection to pick them.
However, all of the different layers info for the hundreds of objects has gone, leaving everything in 1 layer and I can't work out how to put them back. I'd made a delme copy of the file for this so phew😀
Any idea why the Alt scribble method works fine without having to explode all groups to select the objects within them but the rectangular selection requires a destructive action in order to do the same?
I'm gonna guess that you have a file that was not made in Inkscape.
You can retain (or create) the layer structure by using the right-click context menu in the Objects and layers dialog. Any group you prefer to have behave as a layer, can be converted with menu: Group to Layer*.
Then your window selections will be within the layer, similar to double-clicking to enter a group.
Beginners' Questions Selection problems, Alt touch vs window
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Hiya
Not been using Inkscape long so please be gentle😁
I need to delete lots of objects from various areas of my image.
I can select the objects using the Alt drag and scribble the red selection line through all the objects and then delete them.
Trouble is, there are hundreds of these objects and it takes ages to scribble through/select them all. It does work but would be much quicker if I could select them by dragging a rectangle over the objects to select them all at once.
I've tried doing this but the rectangle select options but it just doesn't work.
If the selection rectangle is black, objects don't get selected - unless I use a huge selection rectangle, big enough to select everything on a layer.
If the selection rectangle is red, objects crossed by it are selected but for some reason this action selects the whole layer rather than individual objects.
How can I use rectangle select to select objects rather than everything on that objects layer.
Don't understand why the Alt drag scribble selects objects but rectangle select doesn't.
It sounds like objects are grouped. I'd try using Extensions>Arrange>Deep ungroup to ungroup everything, then try deleting selections.
Thanks for your reply.
That explodes all the groups into seperate objects so I can now use the rectangular selection to pick them.
However, all of the different layers info for the hundreds of objects has gone, leaving everything in 1 layer and I can't work out how to put them back. I'd made a delme copy of the file for this so phew😀
Any idea why the Alt scribble method works fine without having to explode all groups to select the objects within them but the rectangular selection requires a destructive action in order to do the same?
Yeah, I directed you to the big hammer.
I'm gonna guess that you have a file that was not made in Inkscape.
You can retain (or create) the layer structure by using the right-click context menu in the Objects and layers dialog. Any group you prefer to have behave as a layer, can be converted with menu: Group to Layer*.
Then your window selections will be within the layer, similar to double-clicking to enter a group.
* Layers in Inkscape are actually specially tagged groups. (SVG file don't actually support layers.) http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Groups.html