# Selection highlighting modes

**URL:** <https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/selection-highlighting-modes/28982>\
**Category:** Rhino for Mac\
**Tags:** select\
**Created:** [February 3, 2016, 12:31pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/selection-highlighting-modes/28982 "2016-02-03T12:31:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 13\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dario\_Martini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Dario\_Martini](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Dario_Martini)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 12:31pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/selection-highlighting-modes/28982/1 "2016-02-03T12:31:55Z")

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Dear all,  
I am dealing with some complex models, made of a high number of surfaces. I need to selectively edit some, extract them and re-join by parts. It is a complex workflow, but the quickest for my purpose.

Often, I find it hard to visualize which are the selected surfaces and which are not.  
This is why the selection highlights the borders only. I can switch surface isocurves off to simplify the view, but it still gets unclear (and slows me down).

I would love if selections were easier to recognize.  
So, I am wondering if any other “highlighting mode” is available (or maybe will be in the future).

For example, it would be really helpful to:

1. change the shading color for selected objects (e.g. overlay selections in yellow)
2. in a shaded viewport, decrease the transparency of the highlighted edges when they are hidden (selections would behave like in a semi-transparent viewport, with the result of uncluttering the viewport)

Might be that I am not aware of existing features, but I couldn’t find any more options yet…

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**Author:** ![Helvetosaur](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/helvetosaur/32/635974_2.png) [@Helvetosaur](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Helvetosaur)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 1:21pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/selection-highlighting-modes/28982/2 "2016-02-03T13:21:03Z")

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Don’t know if this helps, but in your Shaded display mode, if you check "Shade-highlight selected surfaces and polysurfaces…? (Windows shown below, but Mac is similar, Display modes are under Preferences)

 ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/3X/8/d/8d2f46cd37297b60792fb1dc3fb72c78d34489d1.png)

 ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/3X/0/4/04b779964b4db575bdfd86eb3d2549f28608be54.png)

–Mitch

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**Author:** ![abrahamwechter](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/abrahamwechter/32/479869_2.png) [@abrahamwechter](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/abrahamwechter)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 1:55pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/selection-highlighting-modes/28982/3 "2016-02-03T13:55:45Z")

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I have the “Shade-highlight selected surfaces and polysurfaces” button unchecked in all Display Modes where it is available. This does not show up as an option for Wireframe as presumably there are no surfaces to select. However I often use “PictureFrame” to place bitmaps into Wireframe mode viewports, and selecting the PictureFrame highlights the entire surface, not just the edge. Other display modes behave as expected-edges only highlight. I would like to change the setting for Wireframe mode too but there is no control available as far as I can see. My work around is to use Ghosted mode as it will allow me see lines and also highlight only PictureFrame surface edges but I think Wireframe should work too. Am I missing something?

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**Author:** ![pascal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/pascal/32/479395_2.png) [@pascal](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/pascal)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2016, 3:38am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/selection-highlighting-modes/28982/4 "2016-03-03T03:38:59Z")

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Hi Abraham - I’ll take a look at this and see if I can tell you anything useful - sorry for the delay.

-Pascal

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**Author:** ![abrahamwechter](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/abrahamwechter/32/479869_2.png) [@abrahamwechter](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/abrahamwechter)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2016, 9:01am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/selection-highlighting-modes/28982/5 "2016-03-03T09:01:04Z")

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Thanks Pascal! No need to reply in a hurry; it’s small nuisance not a big deal. Overall I am very happy with Rhino, just lot’s more still to learn.

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**Author:** ![pascal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/pascal/32/479395_2.png) [@pascal](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/pascal)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2016, 4:24pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/selection-highlighting-modes/28982/6 "2016-03-03T16:24:31Z")

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Hi Abraham - so far I do not see this - PictureFrame objects highlight as wireframe - the interior isocurves are also highlighted, but not the surface as in ‘shade highlight’ unless the current display mode is set to shade highlight surfaces.

Can you post a screen capture of a viewport with the selection showing what you’re asking about?

thanks,

-Pascal

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**Author:** ![Zsimon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/zsimon/32/484169_2.png) [@Zsimon](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Zsimon)\
**Post date:** [March 3, 2016, 5:57pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/selection-highlighting-modes/28982/7 "2016-03-03T17:57:25Z")

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I use a custom view with good results. See if you can help.

 ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/3X/1/e/1efdb3588d7eeadea3eaeec22a69a4bc1ca011fd.png)

 ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/3X/e/f/efec929e4f6e5eab01d6a30712c47ba5984ae579.png)

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**Author:** ![abrahamwechter](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/abrahamwechter/32/479869_2.png) [@abrahamwechter](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/abrahamwechter)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2016, 11:03am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/selection-highlighting-modes/28982/8 "2016-03-04T11:03:51Z")

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Here are 2 screenshots  
first the picture frame inserted in wireframe view  
second the picture frame in wireframe view highlighted

You can see the highlighted surface is completely highlighted, not just the isocurves.

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**Author:** ![pascal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/pascal/32/479395_2.png) [@pascal](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/pascal)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 3:01pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/selection-highlighting-modes/28982/9 "2016-03-15T15:01:34Z")

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Hi Abraham - I see that, and cannot reproduce it. Wireframe has no setting for shade highlight of selected surfaces. Have you tried the ‘revert to default values’ at the bottom of the Display modes page in Preferences ? (Under the ‘gear’ button).

-Pascal

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**Author:** ![abrahamwechter](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/abrahamwechter/32/479869_2.png) [@abrahamwechter](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/abrahamwechter)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 8:16am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/selection-highlighting-modes/28982/10 "2016-03-16T08:16:08Z")

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Hi Pascal,

In the Preferences tabs for Display Modes I don’t see the option to revert to default values. I’m using the Mac OS version of Rhino. Is this only available in Windows?

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**Author:** ![dan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/dan/32/481637_2.png) [@dan](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/dan)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 3:27pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/selection-highlighting-modes/28982/11 "2016-03-16T15:27:15Z")

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![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/3X/4/7/475074f5a827e60290c66aadc046ac892191b7d7.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![abrahamwechter](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/abrahamwechter/32/479869_2.png) [@abrahamwechter](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/abrahamwechter)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 3:57am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/selection-highlighting-modes/28982/12 "2016-03-17T03:57:20Z")

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Thank you! Reset Wireframe display mode back to default values and highlighting is now surface edges and isocurves.

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**Author:** ![AMG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/amg/32/636542_2.png) [@AMG](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/AMG)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2019, 1:58pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/selection-highlighting-modes/28982/13 "2019-09-18T13:58:57Z")

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Is it possible to create a luminescent effect on selected objects?  
 ![bilde](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/3X/c/f/cf35d9c4cb034f604ecc3deee1ab01fb059baafd.png)