Select or cancel the selection of objects

You have several ways in Microsoft Expression Blend to select objects on the artboard or to cancel their selection.

To select an object

  • Click SelectionCc295173.2ff91340-477e-4efa-a0f7-af20851e4daa(en-us,Expression.10).png in the Toolbox, and then select the object on the artboard. You may have to click the object several times if its parent container is not already activated. Double-clicking an object on the artboard when you are using the Selection tool activates the object's parent container.

  • Click Direct SelectionCc295173.6dd6571f-c116-451d-8dd2-1f88b8406362(en-us,Expression.10).png in the Toolbox, and then select the object on the artboard. Double-clicking an object on the artboard when you are using the Direct Selection tool activates the object's parent container.

  • In the Interaction panel, under Objects and Timeline, click the object.

  • To select all objects under the root container object (LayoutRoot), click Select All on the Edit menu. If any objects under the root container object contain child objects, the child objects are not selected.

  • On the artboard, right-click an object, point to Set Current Selection, and then click an object on the shortcut menu. The Set Current Selection shortcut menu displays all objects in the hierarchy, starting with the object that was right-clicked, and ending with the topmost object (for example, the Window object).

To select more than one object at a time

  • Hold down CTRL when you select multiple objects.

  • Under Objects and Timeline, hold down SHIFT when you select two objects that are in the same parent container. Holding SHIFT selects all objects between the two that you select.

To cancel the selection of one or more objects

  • In the ToolboxCc295173.2ff91340-477e-4efa-a0f7-af20851e4daa(en-us,Expression.10).png, click either Selection or Direct SelectionCc295173.6dd6571f-c116-451d-8dd2-1f88b8406362(en-us,Expression.10).png, and then hold down CTRL when you click the object on the artboard.

  • Hold down CTRL and then click the object in the Interaction panel under Objects and Timeline.

To cancel the selection of all objects

  • On the Edit menu, click Select None (CTRL+D).

  • On the artboard, either click the window's title bar or click a blank area. The window is selected.