Selection options

Use selection options to customize default settings for selection tools and other preferences when interactively selecting features.

Selection options are application settings. They apply to all your projects. To access the application settings, click the Project tab and click Options. On the Options dialog box, click the Selection tab to set the following default interactive selection options:

  • Selection color—Specifies the color of your selected features. The default is cyan. To return the default selection color to its original value, click the Reset button Reset
    • For polygons only, optionally apply a selection color and fill to the interior. You can choose from a hatched fill or a solid fill. By default the solid fill includes 60 percent transparency. You can change the transparency in the Color Properties on the color picker.
    • You can override the default selection color for an individual layer using the Layer Properties dialog box.
  • Interactive selection mode—Specifies how the shapes you digitize will be used to select features. You have the following two options:
    • Select features that are partially or completely within the selection graphic shape. This is the default.
    • Select features that are completely contained by the selection shape (2D only).
  • Selection combination mode—Specifies the behavior when selecting multiple features. This can be configured to any of the following four options:
    • Create a new selection set of features each time you digitize with a selection tool. This is the default.
    • Add to the current selection set. (Press Shift while clicking.)
    • Remove features from the current selection set. (Press Ctrl while clicking.)
    • Select features from the current selection set. (Ctrl + Shift while clicking.)
  • Save layers and tables with their current selection—Maintains the selection for the layers or tables when a project is reopened. This option is enabled by default.
  • Display the interactive selection graphic—Maintains the selection shape graphic after drawing a selection shape. This can be useful for making additional dynamic interactive selections. Click and drag the graphic to a new location and update the selection. You can also resize the graphic by clicking and dragging one of its handles.
  • Show the selection chip—Controls whether the selection chip appears near the pointer when you select coincident or overlapping features and displays the selection list so you can click the desired feature. This option is enabled by default.
  • Keep invisible features selected with a new selection—Maintains the selection set for layers that you turn off before making a new selection.

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