Type Selections
My idea consists in making it able for us to select text only, but with the arrows, like we have now, but doing it selectively.
I'll try to explain:
If we make a freehand selection (area selection) over some portion of the work, everything that is not locked and that that selection overs is selected, right? Despite being it the Black or White Selection Arrows.
However, I can go to the Menu>Select>Object>Text and it selects ALL text from the artboard. I can also go to a layer and click on the circle on the right and get all of those layer elements selected, either them being text, vectors, images, etc.
With this «new» Arrow, for example a subset of arrows and this being placed there, a Arrow with a «T» next to it, when we click and drag with that arrow over our artboard, only those elements get selected, in this case Text, because it is the arrow with a «T». This arrow can be set to select «selectively» other stuff, colors, to add to swatches (just thought of this one right now), vectors, but differently of the regular ones, that select everything below the click and drag selection, just those vector objects, or images, or whatever we can specifically say that is different by its own.
We can use it to give conditions, usually in the top bar below the menus, if we want to select text, and, for example, size or font, or vectors, lines, closed paths, etc, images, if size this or that, or colors, then add them to swatches if then some sort of OK is given.
I believe this as a lot of potencial!
Feel free to comment! Thank you!
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Márcio, the latest Illustrator version has an expanded options for selecting text, just for that exactly.
Have you seen them? Select > Same > Text block.
These commands allow you to select text of specific size, font, style, size, etc., combined or not.
Does is suffice you?Also, if you you search for more complex search conditions, please try FindReplace Art panel from the AstuteGraphics plugins pack: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=FindReplace+Art
A paid tool, but it worth it for some tedious tasks. -
Rob
commented
The mechanisms of selection in Illustrator are poor. They need to be much, much more developed. Not being able to do complex, conditional selections in vector drawing is like playing guitar with one arm.
