Selection tool+Shift to only ADD to selection without deselecting already selected objects
If you drag Selection Tool while holding Shift over already selected objects it deselects them. This can be very frustrating in some cases, for example if you have to carefully select and delete multiple patches of overlapping shapes. Instad of just holding Shift and dragging a selection box multiple times and then deleting, you have to select, delete, select again, delete and so on.
It would be nice for Shift key to only add to selection without deselecting, and (for example) for Alt key - to only subtract.

10 comments
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Eric Niu commented
They are too ******** to realize this? I have seen posts talking about this feature years ago.
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Anonymous commented
PLEASE DO THIS. I just assumed I was doing something wrong.
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Michael Goldshteyn commented
Well, the previous posters already said what I want to say. This feature is a must and practically all other apps, including Adobe apps, already support it.
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Bagome Hoff commented
Please add this option.
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Aaron Sheffield commented
PLEASE! Even Photoshop has this feature. Literally every other design program has this. AutoCAD, Rhino, Blender, etc. etc.
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Ilfrustrator commented
Totally agree. Illustrator really ********* its user interface, loads of nonsense and anti intuitive functions. Seriously doubt if the developer ever designed something. Please please get it done right Adobe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Orion commented
Absolutely agree. Please get on this, Adobe.
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Hung commented
Exactly what I think about!
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Anonymous commented
Also remove selection with rectangle selection, not toggle, just drag over and gone, but it keeps selecting unselected stuff again...SO MUCH TIME WASTED ON SELECTING and it happens to be the most frequent task you do btw...should be like the first priority to make selecting as easy as possible.
If you are out of ideas about how to do it, please take a look at 3D software, all modes are available there and implemented nicely.
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Rob commented
This is SO lacking in Illustrator. Guys at Adobe, take a look at what happens in 3DSMax or AutoCAD int his field. It's not acceptable for a program as old as Illustrator not to be at least a little better with complex selections. Shift for add, Alt for subtract, and Shift+Alt for exclusion. Simple, basic boolean operations.