Specify selection preferences, Isolate artwork for editing – Adobe Illustrator CS4 User Manual
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USING ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CS4
Selecting and arranging objects
Specify selection preferences
Selecting paths and points in complex images can be challenging. Using the Selection and Anchor Display preferences,
you can specify the tolerance for pixel selection and choose other options that can make selection easier for a particular
document.
1
Choose Edit > Preferences
> Selection & Anchor Display (Windows) or Illustrator > Preferences
> Selection &
Anchor Display (Mac
OS).
2
Specify any of the following Selection options:
Tolerance
Specifies the pixel range for selecting anchor points. Higher values increase the width of the area around
an anchor point that you can click to select it.
Object Selection By Path Only
Specifies whether you can select a filled object by clicking anywhere in the object or
whether you have to click a path.
Snap To Point
Snaps objects to anchor points and guides. Specify the distance between the object and anchor point
or guide when the snap occurs.
See also
Specify anchor point size preferences
Isolate artwork for editing
Isolation mode isolates objects so that you can easily select and edit particular objects or parts of objects. You can
isolate any of the following: layers, sublayers, groups, symbols, clipping masks, compound paths, gradient meshes,
paths, and brushes (for editing brush definitions).
In Isolation mode, you can delete, replace, and add new art relative to the isolated art. As soon as you exit isolation
mode, replaced or new art is added at the same location as the original isolated art. Isolation mode automatically locks
all other objects so that only the objects in isolation mode are affected by the edits you make— you don’t need to worry
about what layer an object is on, nor do you need to manually lock or hide the objects you don’t want affected by your
edits.
Note: When you edit a symbol’s definition, the symbol appears in isolation mode. (See “
86.)