How To Hide Selection Box In AutoCAD?

Understanding the Selection Box in AutoCAD

The selection box in AutoCAD is a crucial feature that aids in selecting objects efficiently. However, it can sometimes clutter the drawing workspace. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to hide the selection box in AutoCAD, along with other related selection options.

Turning Off Selection Cycling

To disable the selection cycling display, follow these steps:

1. Open Command Prompt: Begin by accessing the command prompt in AutoCAD.
2. Type Command: Enter the command SELECTIONCYCLING and press Enter.
3. Disable Selection Cycling: To turn it off, input 0 when prompted and press Enter. This action will remove the selection cycling box, streamlining your workspace.

Disabling Selection Preview

If you find the selection preview feature distracting, here’s how to turn it off:

1. Access Options Menu: Right-click anywhere in your drawing area without selecting any objects. From the contextual menu, choose the Options command.
2. Navigate to the Selection Tab: Click on the Selection tab in the Options dialog box.
3. Adjust Settings: Look for the preview settings and uncheck any options related to selection preview. Adjust these settings according to your preferences.

Temporarily Disable Ortho Mode

For those who need more flexibility in their cursor movement while selecting:

• Hold down the Shift key while working. This temporarily disables Ortho mode (which constrains movement to vertical and horizontal directions), allowing for greater freedom in selection.

Hiding Specific Areas

To hide certain objects in your AutoCAD drawing:

1. Select Objects: Click on the objects that you want to hide.
2. Use the Right-click Menu: Right-click on the selected objects and choose Isolate Objects followed by Hide Selected Objects.
3. Alternatively, Use Status Bar: Click on the right side of the drawing window’s status bar where you see the Hide Objects option and select the desired objects to hide.

Addressing Selection Issues

Sometimes you might encounter problems selecting objects. Here are some potential causes and fixes:

• Active Viewport: Make sure that the viewport containing your objects is active when trying to select them.
• Layer Lock: Check that the layer of the objects you’re trying to select isn’t locked or frozen.
• Xref Edit Mode: Ensure that you aren’t in the edit mode of an external reference (xref), as this may restrict selection.

Adjusting Selection Settings

To modify your selection settings:

1. Open Preferences: Click the product name in the upper-left corner (AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT) to access Preferences.
2. Cursor & Selection Tab: Go to the Cursor & Selection tab in the Application Preferences dialog.
3. Modify Options: Here, you can configure options for how the selection behaves, including highlighting selected objects or enabling/disabling preview during selection.

FAQs

Q1: How can I quickly toggle the selection box on and off?
You can use the SELECTIONCYCLING command to quickly toggle the selection cycling feature on or off without navigating through menus.

Q2: Is it possible to select objects in a locked layer?
No, if an object is in a locked layer, you will not be able to select it. You must unlock the layer first to enable selection.

Q3: How do I see the objects I’ve hidden?
To view hidden objects again, use the Unhide feature from the right-click context menu after selecting the layer or area you’ve hidden objects from. Alternatively, you can click the Show Hidden Objects option from the status bar.