The main issue for me is that if I Shift-box through some elements that I already have selected, instead of adding to the selection, it removes some of the already selected objects (toggles). I wish Shift/Ctrl would be like any other CAD/graphics program (including Photoshop!) where Shift=add, Ctrl=subtract. The toggle is absolutely maddening.

The current selection method is really terrible for handling complex designs

Boolean mode, by the way, is available with the Super Marquee Tool from Astute Graphics plugin suite:
https://docs.astutegraphics.com/colliderscribe/super-marquee-tool/super-marquee-tool-operations

Still nothing? Seriously? We pay how many $$$ every year to not get something as simple as this done? What a worthless company

@Jinmu, the tool is a part of their ColliderScribe pack, for a historical reasons (before SaaS model they used to sell these in packs).
https://astutegraphics.com/learn/update/select-like-a-pro-with-super-marquee

You can search for it at YT with an ease also:
https://youtu.be/l9QuUIK_HxQ

Some written documentation is being made although, but not published yet, AFAIK.

By default the tool works in the default 'toggle' mode and the 'boolean' mode has to be enabled, in options on on the fly with a dedicated button press.

Egor, I'm not seeing a SuperMarquee tool on Astute's website. Is this just like how I open the fridge and can't find things that are right there in front of me or do they not offer it anymore? Some of the other plugins sound great though.

Surprisingly, Affinity Designer doesn't have this either. Inkscape comes close but it only has this on a point level - not object level.

As someone mentioned earlier, any 3d/cad software did this from the dawn of time.

I know I've already commented, but I can't stress enough how much this would improve the usability of Ai. I'm surprised that more people aren't asking for this because I think about it every single time I use illustrator.

Meanwhile Astute Graphics has this Boolean mode in their SuperMarquee tool. The plugin is paid, but it exists and it works, and it provides a feedback on what is selected before the section is made. Worth trying.

this is the single most infuriating thing in illustrator.
Selecting complex patterns is impossible.
Every time I run into problems with only being able to TOGGLE the selection I go on a search for alternative software.... monopolies suck though.

You should look at the Super Marquee Tool from AstuteGraphics plugins pack. It feels like it does exactly what you want.

We need it like in 3D Apps ( 3DS Max - C4D)
Shift to only add to selection and Ctrl ( or ALT ) to minus from selection
Nice and Clean
Please make this happen
Thanks

I've wanted this for like 15 years. I've seen it requested over and over again. Seems like a pretty basic function that anyone who has used CAD/3D software knows is super useful. They could just make it an opt-in feature so as not to bug users who aren't familiar with it.

Would save sooo much time and frustration when you're working on something with a lot of objects or points crammed together. Also, I'm not a developer, but it seems like a relatively easy thing to implement?

I like this one.
A Boolean mode instead of a Toggle mode we have now.
And of course, as an option!

If I may suggest, an option in the selection menu would help.

I'm mostly using white arrow tool + alt to select more. In some situations (here, different strokes), click and selecting the lines and realizing I didn't select all the other points, I would have LOVED to get an option somewhere (selection menu ? anchor point tool bar ?) to EXPAND that "some paths" selection into an "full path" selection. I even used the black arrow selection tool… but my previous selection acted. Of course it's not what I wanted. Here we're talking about 3 strokes but I'm sure it could be many more.

It's insane that this has been missing from Illustrator for decades when Photoshop, Animate, and thousands of other platforms have it. Please add this ASAP.

Please. It is immoral for you to release any new updates without correcting this. You've literally had decades to address this most simple of requests.

Give us updates we actually want, something so simple, so banal, but that will drastically improve the user experience. We don't need anything flashy and new, just let us select with shift and remove from selection with command, control, or literally any other key.

YES. Please! At least make this an option users can choose in preferences if unwilling to change it unilaterally. I work with so many small paths and objects and constantly accidentally select or deselect something while trying to select or deselect the thing I missed. It is so annoying.

Not only is shift exclusively to add, and command/control to remove from a selection a photoshop default behavior, but it is the case in almost every other design application that exists -- therefore clearly an intuitive means of selection.

I can see absolutely no benefit to using the single key, "shift" for both selection and deselection.

This software is expensive and you talk about the "creative Cloud" but there is so little continuity between simple things like this across the apps.

They are too ******** to realize this? I have seen posts talking about this feature years ago.