Blender Selection Tools

Selection is the basic command you must use all the time. This page list most of the selection command you should be use frequently.

Most of the screenshot are capture in Edit Mode (but most of the command are work in Vertex, Edge and Face mode). Click on the drop down menu below your 3D workspace change it to Edit Mode.

Screenshot in this tutorial are using Blender 2.49

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Most of the selection command only work when you hover your mouse over the 3D workspace so watch your mouse position careful.

Right Click : Basic select command.

Shift + Right Click : Select multiple object the same time.

“A” Key : Press “A” on keyboard will swap between Select All and Unselect All command.

Ctrl + “I” : Press “Ctrl+I” to invert any selection you have made.

Ctrl + Numpad “+” : Increase Selection, Made any selection and press Ctrl+”+” to increase the selection further more.

Ctrl + Numpad “-” : Decrease Selection, Made any selection and press Ctrl+”-” to decrease the selection smaller.

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Border Select Mode : Press “B” to activate it.

Your cursor has change to moving crosshair now you can draw rectangle over the part you want the select and press Left Click to confirm selection or Middle click to deselect it.

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Circle Select Mode : Press “B” twice to activate it.

Your cursor change to circle shape. Use your Wheel Mouse to control its size then press Left Click to confirm selection or Middle Mouse to deselect.

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Lasso Tool : Hold Ctrl then Left Click and drag your mouse to form any selection shape as you want.

To deselect hold Ctrl and Shift then drag your left mouse over the object you want to deselect.

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Edge Loop Selection : Press Alt+ Right Click on the edge to make loop path selection.

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Edge Ring Selection : Press Alt + Ctrl + Right Click on the edge.

This is special command for working only in Edge Mode (if you do this on vertex or face mode it will result the same as Edge Loop Selection).

PS. While in Edit Mode you can press Ctrl+Tab to swap working on Vertex, Edge and Face Mode freely.

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Vertex Path : To use this command you must select 2 vertex at some distance and press “W” to call out Specials Command then choose Select Vertex Path follow by Edge Length option.

Blender will make auto selection between 2 vertex that you has selected.

This command only work with Vertex Mode.

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Random : Hover your mouse over 3D workspace then Press SPACEBAR > Select > Random…

Enter the value you want and press OK to confirm.

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Vertex Group : This tool will assign any vertices you selected to a group you set so you can call it out later.

BEWARE : Blender won’t let you use this tool with Multires enable. If you’re using Multires you must click Apply Multires button before using this tool.

You will find Apply Multires button inside Multires Tab (Pink Circle).

Make sure you’re working in Edit Panel (Orange Circle) you will find Vertex Group tool inside Link and Materials Tab (Yellow Circle).

There’re 6 buttons and 1 text field as you can see in the screenshot. (Do not care about the Weight value, for sculpted prim you don’t need this option.)

New : Click to create new group. You can change the group name in the text field as you like.

Assign : Select some vertices on the mesh and click this button to assign it to the group.

Remove : Select some vertices on the mesh and click this button to remove those selected vertices from group.

Delete : Delete the vertex group.

Text Field : Click inside text field to rename group’s name. You can change to work between different groups using small arrow on the left.

Select : Press this button to make vertices selection from the group you choose.

Deselect : Any selected vertices in the screen but are in the group will be deselect when you press this button.