Home > Getting Started > Create a Map, Diagram, or Flowchart > Select Shapes and Lines

Select Shapes and Lines

You may select an item by clicking it using the Selector tool selector_tool.bmp on the Toolbox toolbar. Once you have selected a shape, it has a gray stippled border around it; notice the difference in appearance between a selected and unselected shape:

selected.bmp

Selected shape

unselected.bmp

Unselected shape

You may change the default size of a shape by using its sizing handles (dragging the dark squares at the corners or middles of the selected shape), or by adding text.

Info00010.bmp 

To move a placed shape in one step, hold the Alt key while you click and drag the shape.

Selection Methods

Task

Procedure

Select an item

Click the object.

Select multiple items

  1. If the cursor is not an arrow, click the selector_tool00011.bmp tool.

  2. Click and hold on an empty portion of the diagram space, then drag the cursor diagonally across the items to select. To do so, position the cursor to mark the first corner of the selection rectangle, hold down the mouse button and drag the cursor diagonally across the items to completely surround items to select.

    multiple_selection.bmp

Select all items in the diagram

On the Edit menu, choose Select All
or
hold the Ctrl key and press A (Ctrl+A).

Add items to the selection

Select the first shape, then press and hold the Ctrl (or Shift) key and select each item you want to add.

Remove items from the selection

Place the cursor directly over the item to remove from selection, press the Ctrl (or Shift) key, and click the mouse button.

Cancel selection of items

Click an empty place in the diagram space.

Select diagram objects by type

On the Edit menu, choose Select to precisely specify selected items in your diagram. For example, you may want to change the format of all decision shapes in a large diagram.

Related Topics

Create a Map, Diagram, or Flowchart

Place and Connect Shapes

Add Text in Shapes

Add Text Areas

Number and Renumber Shapes

Modify Case Text

Add Notes, Links, and Indicators

Align Objects

Add Styling to Diagram Objects

Add Properties to Shapes