Selection Tool

How to select elements

The Selection Tool is the go-to tool in Vectornator. It allows you to select objects but also activates some specific options to rotate, duplicate, and more.

1 – The Selection Tool allows you to select the shape itself,

2 – The Direct Selection or Node Tool allows you instead to select individual points in your shape.

How to Activate the Selection Tool

The Selection Tool (1) is the first tool you find at the top of the Vectornator Toolbar. To activate it, simply tap on it. Then, you can select any object on your canvas by tapping on it. Any selected element will be surrounded by a box which allows you to move it around or resize it.

4in1 Modes

Once you tap the Selection Tool (1), you will also have access to four different modes:

A – Multi Select Mode to select multiple elements at once,

B – Duplicate Mode to duplicate each element by dragging it,

C – Rotate Mode to easily rotate an element,

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How to Resize an Object

Resize the object while keeping its Aspect Ratio intact by dragging on the green circle- the Aspect Ratio Handle - at the bottom-right of your selected shape. The technique applies to Masks, Groups, and Text elements too.

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Multi Select Mode

You can select a group of objects by tapping and dragging a box around them or you can use the Multi Select Mode. To activate it, simply tap on the first icon (A) at the right of the Selection Tool.

The Multi Select Mode is available also for the Node Tool and allows you to select multiple Anchor Points at once.

Duplicate Mode

You can duplicate objects in Vectornator by copy-pasting them, or you can use the Duplicate Mode. To activate it, simply tap on the second icon (B) at the right of the Selection Tool. Once active, you can simply tap and drag any selected object to create a duplicate of it.

You can also combine those modes to speed up your workflow and create Rotational or Scalable Copies.

Combine Duplicate & Rotate Mode

This Combo Gesture allows you to easily create Rotational Copies. To activate it, simply tap on the Rotate Mode button and the Duplicate Mode. Then select your shape and start dragging your finger around.

You can change the Pivot Point of your rotation by tapping anywhere on the canvas. Also, you can hold a second finger on your canvas while dragging to enable 45º snapping.

Combine Duplicate & Scale Mode

This Combo Gesture allows you to instead create Scalable Copies. To activate it, simply tap on the Scale Mode button and the Duplicate Mode together. Then select your shape and start dragging your finger around.

You can change the Pivot Point of your rotation by tapping anywhere on the canvas. Also, you can hold a second finger on your canvas while dragging to enable 45º snapping.

Click-Through Mode

You can select nested elements by activating the Click-Through Mode ~ic-click-through~~ic-click-through~. When you have many nested groups, it can be challenging to select a single element of a group. The Click-Through Mode circumvents the layer hierarchy while selecting an element.

Once activated, this button allows you to select directly what you see or tap onto, any parent element of your selected object will be bypassed.

The Click-Through Mode ~ic-click-through~~ic-click-through~ comes in handy while working with masks.

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Dimensions Indicator

When you select an object in Vectornator, the object's dimensions will be displayed at the bottom-center of the object in light blue box. But remember, the values displayed are rounded to the closest whole digit and won't display the decimal points.

The dimensions indicator works on single objects, multiple objects selected together, and groups of objects.

Note: You can also hide the Dimension Indicator by switching off the button in the Settings tab.

And when you rotate an object, the dimension indicator will display the rotation degree.

Video Recap | The Selection Tool

This lesson is all about a classic – the Selection Tool.  The Selection Tool does what it says on the box, it selects any object on my canvas. But it's more complex than its name might make you think. Read along to discover all the basic and not so basic operations that you can perform with this fundamental tool.

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