How to select an area with a larger object?

[Catch 23]

Is there a way in Visio 2003 to select a group of objects that are
within a larger object?

If I do the usual click-drag, the larger object gets selected and
instead of defining an area, the larger object gets moved.

 

[Paul Herber]

Is there a way in Visio 2003 to select a group of objects that are
within a larger object?

If I do the usual click-drag, the larger object gets selected and
instead of defining an area, the larger object gets moved.

Is it possible to start the selection from outside the larger object?
If not then try temporarily setting the larger object's fill pattern
to None.

 

[John... Visio MVP]

Is there a way in Visio 2003 to select a group of objects that are
within a larger object?

If I do the usual click-drag, the larger object gets selected and
instead of defining an area, the larger object gets moved.

If you start the selection from within the larger shape, then the larger
shape is selected. Try starting the selection outside the larger shape in an
area with no shapes and then dragging over the desired shapes without
including the larger shape in the shape area. If you accidently include the
larger shape, you can un select by holding down the shift key and touching a
portion of the shape. The shift key allows you to add to a selection, but if
the shape is already selected, it unselects the shape.

John... Visio MVP

 

[Catch 23]

Is it possible to start the selection from outside the larger object?
If not then try temporarily setting the larger object's fill pattern
to None.

That's what I usually do, but in this situation there are too many
objects around the larger object.

 

[Catch 23]

If you start the selection from within the larger shape, then the larger
shape is selected. Try starting the selection outside the larger shape in an
area with no shapes and then dragging over the desired shapes without
including the larger shape in the shape area. If you accidently include the
larger shape, you can un select by holding down the shift key and touching a
portion of the shape. The shift key allows you to add to a selection, but if
the shape is already selected, it unselects the shape.

That's what I've done in the past, but there is no place to start that
doesn't include objects that I don't want.

The graphic is a design for a web page. There's a rectangle in the
middle with various controls all around it. Inside the rectangle,
there's a collection of overlapping objects that I need to move
slightly left. Some of the inside objects are groups and some are not.
It's not always clear, when multiple overlapping objects are selected
just which one are and are not included.

After a little more experimenting, I was able to get ahold of the
piece I wanted using the Lasso Select, which I hadn't used before. I
think the Multiple Select option might also have worked.

Anyway, I got it moved.



I was hoping that Shift-Drag or Alt-Drag or CAS-Drag or something
would NOT select the object at the starting point. That would be a
handy feature.



Another very handy feature would be some type of "line select" option.
It would work a little like the Line tool. I could construct the
selection area with a series of straight lines. Each segment attached
to the end of the previous segment. When the area is closed, the
enclosed objects are selected.



How do other graphic programs handle this?