Multi-select and groups

Multi-select

If you are making large-scale changes, you can select multiple shapes or connections at once with multi-select. To do so, drag-select around the shapes you would like to modify on the diagram. Note, you must completely surround the entire shape with your rectangle to select it, as partially selected shapes will be ignored. Once multi-selected, you can move multiple objects together like they are one element.

If you would like to create a group of objects that are permanently grouped together, you can click on the "Group Selected" button in the Modifier when objects are multi-selected. You can also use the shortcut Command+G or right click on the highlighted shapes and select Group.

Objects that are grouped will be able to be modified in the exact same way as objects which are multi-selected. However, grouping retains the grouped property over time. One extra function of groups is that multiple objects can be resized at one time. Once grouped, click on the object and drag the resize container as if it were a shape.

Group alignment

For brevity, the rest of this section will use the word “groups”, but all of these features also apply to multi-select.

One special feature of groups is that they can help greatly with alignment. There are two types of alignment that can be performed, horizontal and vertical.

Horizonal alignment

If the objects you have selected are in a horizontal orientation, use the up and down arrows on the Modifier to align with the item furthest to the right. You can use the Align Horizontally button to bring all selected items to the center, which is defined as the center of the object furthest to the right.

Space evenly

If you have three or more items selected in the group, you can use the Evenly Space Horizontally button to create equal amounts of white space between the items.

Vertical alignment

If the objects you have selected are in a vertical orientation, use the left and right arrows on the Modifier to align with the item furthest to the bottom. You can use the Align Vertically button to bring all selected items to the center, which is defined as the center of the object farthest to the bottom. If you have three or more items selected in the group, you can use the Evenly Space Vertically button to create equal amounts of white space between the items.