Select features for editing

Selection tools for editing consist of standard selection tools and active selection tools. Changing the tool selection method, for example from a polygon to a circle, synchronizes the method across all selection tools.

To learn more about optional settings, see Change selection settings for editing.

Select features

Each selection tool method draws a specific geometric shape as a selection boundary. By default, any feature contained within or crossing the boundary is selected. Selected features highlight on the map, and a counter on the status bar reports how many.

Caution:

Editing tools that operate on selected features do not select nonspatial objects or features that can't be edited.

To avoid unexpected results when selecting nonspatial objects, deactivate the current editing tool before executing the command. For example, press the Esc key after using the Move tool before selecting features by attributes in a standalone table or performing a network trace.

1. On the Edit tab, in the Selection group, click the selection drop-down menu and choose a tool.

   When choosing a selection method, consider your workflow and the adjacent features you want to avoid selecting. To customize your selection preferences, click the Selection Options dialog box launcher , and click Selection.

2. Draw the selection boundary.
   • Rectangle —Click a point feature or a segment edge, or click and drag the pointer to create the selection boundary.
   • Polygon —Click to create each vertex of the boundary, and double-click to select the feature.
   • Lasso —Click a point feature or a segment edge, or click and drag the pointer to create the selection boundary.
   • Circle —Click a point feature or a segment edge, or click and drag the pointer to create the selection boundary.
   • Line —Click to create each vertex of the boundary, and double-click to select the feature.
   • Trace —Click a line or a polygon segment and drag the pointer along the contiguous segments. Double-click to select the features.
3. To clear the selection, do one of the following:
   • Click anywhere on the map away from selectable features.
   • On the Edit tab, in the Selection group, click Clear .

Keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts for the selection tools

Keyboard shortcut	Action	Comment
Shift+ Select	Add the selected feature .	Add the selected feature to the current selection.
Ctrl+ Select	Remove the selected feature .	Remove the selected feature from the current selection.
Ctrl+Shift+ Select	Select only this feature .	Keep the selected feature and remove all other features from the current selection.

Active select tools

Active selection tools appear with a solid-filled arrow. They are available with specific tools in the Modify Features pane. Active selection tools use the current selection method and apply additional functionality to support continuous edits and annotation or topological editing tools

Clicking an active selection tool finishes the current edit and waits for you to make a new selection while keeping the current tool active; enabling you to finish an edit and continue editing another feature using the same active tool.

The following active selection tools appear with specific annotation and topology editing tools.

Selection tool	Description
Select Annotation	Selects only annotation features. It is available only with annotation editing tools.
Select Topology	Selects only map topology edges. It is available only with map topology editing tools.

Select coincident geometry

Selecting coincident geometry is performed with the Selection Chip pop-up menu that appears near the pointer.

1. Confirm the Selection Chip is turned on.
   1. On the Edit tab, in the Selection group, click the Selection Options dialog box launcher .
   2. Click Selection and check Show the selection chip.
   3. Click OK.
2. On the Edit tab, in the Selection group, click the selection drop-down arrow and click a selection tool that allows clicking to make a selection.
3. Click the coincident features, for example an overlapping line feature and a polygon segment that share the same edge.

   The Selection Chip pop-up menu appears near the pointer.

4. To select one of the features, click the drop-down arrow and click the feature on the list.
   • To step through the selection and flash a feature in the map, press N.

Zoom to a selection

Zooming to a selection displays the selected features fully in the screen at the center of the active view.

1. On the Edit tab, in the Selection group, click the selection drop-down arrow and click a selection tool that allows clicking to make a selection.
2. Select one or more features.
3. To zoom to the selection, do one of the following:
   • Right-click and click Zoom To Selection .
   • On the status bar at the bottom of the active map or scene view, click Zoom To Selection .