Select features

Certain tools in Drone2Map work only on selected features. To remove or disable images, the image points must be actively selected from the images feature layer. To remove control points, you must actively select them from the control feature layer. Set the default selection behavior in the selection settings, and use the various methods to select features.

Selection settings

You can review and set your selection preferences before you begin selecting features. On the Project tab, select Settings. On the Settings dialog box, on the Selection tab, you can set the following default interactive selection options:

• Selection color—Specify the color of the selected features. The default is cyan.
• For polygons only, optionally apply a selection color and fill to the interior. You can choose from a hatched fill or a solid fill.
• Interactive selection mode—Specify how the shapes you digitize are used to select features. You have the following two options:
  • Select features that are partially or completely within the selection graphic shape. This is the default.
  • Select features that are completely contained by the selection shape (2D only).
• Selection combination mode—Specify the behavior when selecting multiple features. This can be configured to any of the following four options:
  • Create a selection set of features each time you digitize with a selection tool. This is the default.
  • Add to the current selection set (Shift+click).
  • Remove features from the current selection set (Ctrl+click).
  • Select features from the current selection set (Ctrl+Shift+click).

• Save layers and tables with their current selection—Maintain the selection for the layers or tables when a project is reopened. This option is enabled by default.
• Display the interactive selection graphic—Maintain the selection shape graphic after drawing a selection shape. This can be useful for making additional dynamic interactive selections. Click and drag the graphic to a new location and update the selection. You can also resize the graphic by clicking and dragging one of its handles.
• Show the selection chip—Specify whether the selection chip appears near the pointer when you select coincident or overlapping features and display the selection list so you can click the desired feature. This option is enabled by default.
• Keep invisible features selected with a new selection—Maintain the selection set for layers that you turn off before making a new selection.

Select features interactively

Interactive feature selection involves clicking a single feature in the view or digitizing a shape to select a set of features. Selecting features allows you to highlight and choose a subset of features on a map to use in subsequent exploration or analysis of your data. For example, applying a selection allows you to specify the features for which you want to calculate statistics, view attributes, edit, or define the set of features that comprise a layer.

As you interactively select features by clicking or digitizing a shape on the map, the number of features selected is displayed at the bottom of the view. Zoom to the extent of the selected features by clicking the selected features count.

Select features

Once you review and set the selection options, you can select features interactively using any of the selection tools listed in the Selection group (listed below). Selection tools for editing scenarios are also listed on the Edit tab. Click the map, and draw the prescribed shape across the feature or features. For points and line layers, you can select a feature by clicking anywhere on its symbology. In a scene view (3D), features blocked by terrain or other features will not be selected.

1. In the Selection group, on the Map tab, click the selection drop-down arrow and choose a tool.
2. Draw the respective shape across the feature or features using the chosen selection tool.
   • Rectangle —Click a point feature or segment, or click and drag the rectangle across the feature.
   • Polygon —Click the map to create the vertices of the polygon. Double-click to close the polygon and select the feature.
   • Lasso —Press the mouse button while drawing with the pointer to create the freehand shape.
   • Circle —Press the mouse button while drawing with the pointer to create the circle.
   • Line —Click the map to create the vertices of the line. Double-click to end the line and make the selection.
   • Trace —Click a line or polygon segment and draw with the pointer along the boundary and other contiguous features connecting segments by tracing along them. Double-click to end the trace and make the selection (2D views only).
   • Box (3D only)—Click to set the first corner of the box. Move the pointer and click to add the vertices for the next two corners creating the sides of a rectangular plane. Move the pointer again and click to set the box height. Optionally, press the R keyboard shortcut to enter precise reach distances for each dimension of the box. When using the R key for the first edge of the box, you must click after entering the reach distance value to define the box orientation.
   • Sphere (3D only)—Click once to set the center of the sphere. Set the size of the sphere by either moving the pointer and clicking a second time, or pressing R and entering a radius value.
   • Cylinder (3D only)—Click to set the center of one end of the cylinder. Move the pointer and click again to set the other end of the cylinder. Move the pointer and click to set the radius of the cylinder. Optionally, press the R key to enter precise reach and radius distances for the cylinder shape. When using the R key for the length of the cylinder, you must click after entering the reach distance value to define the cylinder's 3D orientation.

     Note:

     When selecting in 3D scenes, the default selection method of Rectangle does not account for height (z). The Box, Sphere, or Cylinder volumetric selection method should be used with 3D scenes.

     Note:

     The 3D volumetric selection tools only select features that are visible in the view.

3. Work with the selected features or click the Clear button to clear the selection. To deselect all selected features at once, click in the view where there are no features or click a layer feature that is not selectable.

Selection keyboard shortcuts

The following keyboard shortcuts can make the selection process more efficient:

• Shift—Press and hold to add features to an existing selection. You can click individual features or digitize around a collection.
• Ctrl—Press and hold to remove one or more features from the existing selection.
• Ctrl+Shift—Press and hold to select from the current selection and deselect all others.
• C—Press and hold to navigate the view. This is useful in 3D to select features that are blocked by the current view. The pointer temporarily switches to navigation so you can use the left, middle, and right mouse buttons to navigate. Release the C key to return to selection mode so you can complete the task without leaving the view to change tools.

Select features using attributes

The Select By Attributes button opens the Select Layer By Attribute tool to form a SQL query to select features matching a selection criteria. In this way, instead of interactively selecting features by clicking or drawing a graphic in the 2D or 3D map, you build a query expression to generate the subset. You can query a dataset based on a field in a layer or a table. To select by attributes, complete the following steps:

1. In the Selection group, click the Select By Attributes button to open the Select Layer By Attribute tool.
2. Choose the layer from which you want to select.
3. Enter a query expression using one of the following methods:
   • Click New Expression and build a query.
   • Choose a field name.
   • Choose an operator.
   • Choose or enter a value on which to search.
4. Click Select to execute the selection query and work with the selection results.