A Comprehensive Guide to Selecting and Modifying Graphics
In LightBurn, selecting objects is a prerequisite for modifying or transforming them. While the Select Tool is the primary method, LightBurn offers additional options for selecting objects based on type, size, layer, and other criteria.
Making Selections
Default Select Tool
- The Select Tool is active by default.
- To reactivate it, click the cursor icon in the Tools Toolbar or press Esc.
Click Selection
- Click any object in the Workspace to select it.
- Adjust the distance required for selection by modifying the Click-Selection Tolerance in the Settings/Preferences menu.
Box Selection
LightBurn provides two types of box selection:
- Enclosing Selection: Drag to the right to create a red box. Selects all objects fully contained within the box.
- Crossing Selection: Drag to the left to create a green box. Selects all objects crossed by or fully contained within the box.
Selection Modifiers
Enhance your selection process with these key combinations:
- Shift: Add objects to the current selection.
- Ctrl/Cmd: Toggle selection status (select or deselect objects).
- Ctrl/Cmd + Shift: Remove objects from the current selection.
Additional shortcuts:
- Esc: Deselect all objects.
- Tab: Cycle through objects sequentially in the Workspace.
- Shift + Tab: Cycle through objects in reverse order.
Selection Indicators
- Selected objects are outlined with an animated dashed line.
- Grouped objects display a dot-dot-dash pattern.
Once selected, objects can be:
- Transformed using control handles for resizing, rotating, skewing, or moving.
- Modified via the Numeric Edits Toolbar for precise adjustments.
- Edited with object-specific tools such as Text Options or Shape Properties.
Additional Selection Tools
Explore advanced selection options in the Edit Menu:
- Select All (Ctrl/Cmd + A): Select all objects in your project.
- Invert Selection (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + I): Deselect selected objects and select unselected ones.
- Select Open Shapes: Selects shapes that do not form closed loops.
- Select Open Shapes Set to Fill: Identifies open shapes assigned to layers in Fill Mode.
- Select All Shapes in Current Layer: Selects all objects in the active layer.
- Shortcut: Hold Shift and click the layer in the Cuts/Layers Window.
- Select Contained Shapes: Selects objects fully contained within a closed shape.
- Select Shapes Smaller Than Selected: Finds shapes smaller than the currently selected object.
Troubleshooting Selection Issues
Grouped Objects
Grouped objects behave as a single entity during selection. Some exceptions:
- Select Contained Shapes: Does not select shapes within groups.
- Select Shapes Smaller Than Selected: Grouped objects are selected but removed from their group.
- Select Open Shapes: Grouped open shapes are selected and ungrouped.
Overlapping Geometry
If objects flash unexpectedly when selected, overlapping geometry may be the issue.
- Use Edit → Delete Duplicates (Alt + D) to remove duplicates.
- Ungroup objects (Ctrl/Cmd + U) and manually delete unwanted shapes.