Selecting Graphics Objects

Selecting an Object
The following sequence shows how to select an object inside a graphic.

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To begin editing within a graphic, single-click or double-click the background or an object in the graphic. The frame highlight will change to gray.

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Click a disk to select it.

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Drag the disk or its frame highlight to move it.

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When over a handle, the arrow cursor ( ) changes to the double arrow cursor (, , , or ).

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Drag a handle to reshape the selected disk.

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To resize a disk without changing its shape, press Shift and drag a handle.

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Selecting Multiple Objects
The following sequence shows how to select multiple objects inside a graphic.

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Click a disk to select it.

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Shift+click to select another disk. The two disks with crosshairs (+) at their centers are selected.

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Drag a handle to stretch the selected disks.

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Click outside the selected disks to deselect.

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Click and drag across some disks to select them.

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Shift+click to deselect a selected disk.

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Shift+drag to deselect a group of disks.

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Copy and Paste
The following sequence shows how to copy and paste an object from one graphic to another.

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Click to copy a rectangle.

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In another graphic, double-click the background and paste. The rectangle will be at its original coordinates.

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Drag the pasted rectangle to move it out of the way.

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Click a disk to select it.

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Paste the copied rectangle again. The disk disappears and a new copy of the rectangle appears once again at its original coordinates. Whether the rectangle appears above or below a disk depends on the position of the replaced disk in the internal ordering of the graphics expression.

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In contrast to double-clicking the background of the target graphic, a single click may select the target as a whole.

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Pasting now replaces the whole graphic.

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Inset Objects
The following sequence shows how to copy and paste a graphic inside another graphic.
Here is a graphic with three squares. Click the graphic and copy it.
Double-click a square to select it.

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Paste the graphic copied before. The three squares will be pasted, replacing the selected square.

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The pasted squares are in an Inset. Click the Inset to select it.

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To move the Inset, click anywhere inside it and drag.

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Copy the selected Inset, click the background of the graphic to deselect the Inset, and paste. Move the pasted Inset to the upper right.

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Double-click an object in an Inset to select it.

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Click and drag an object in an Inset to move it.

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Objects in different Inset groups cannot be selected simultaneously.

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