FAQs about object selection in CAD

Cumulative selection is disabled

By default, the CAD system supports cumulative selection, which allows users to continuously select objects without replacing the old selection.

So when we find that the cumulative selection is disabled and when we select a new object, the previous selection is canceled, we need to turn on the cumulative selection ourselves.

How to turn on the cumulative selection?

The system variable that controls the cumulative selection is PICKADD, the initial value for PICKADD is 2, which means the PICKADD is on; when the value is 0 or 1, the PICKADD is off, which means the previously selected objects are removed from the selection set.

* We can type “PICKADD” in the command line, then press Enter, there would be prompts in the command line, as shown in the following picture,

The value for PICKADD is 2, which means the cumulative selection is on, we can type 0 or 1 and press Enter to turn off the cumulative selection.

* Another way is to switch the value of system variable PICKADD in the Properties Panel, as shown in the following picture,

* alternatively, we can type “Options” in the command line, the options dialog box would pop up, we can change the cumulative selection setting as shown in the following picture,

Why the CAD asks me to select object again?

By default, we select object and then execute command, but sometimes we are prompted to select object when we execute the command. What’s worse, we can’t edit the text or block after double-click. That’s because the system variable PICKFIRST that controls this has been modified.

* We can type “PICKFIRST” in the command line, then press Enter, there would be prompts in the command line, as shown in the following picture,

The above value for PICKFIRST is 1, which means the functionality is on and we can select before executing the command, to turn it off we can type 0 and press Enter.

*  Type “Options” in the command line, the options dialog box would pop up, we can change it under Selection modes, as shown in the following picture,


Discover more from Gstarsoft's Blog

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

GstarCAD Blog

www.gstarcad.net

Related Posts

What Is a DXF File? A Practical Guide to CAD Exchange

A DXF file is a CAD drawing file used to exchange design information between software applications. DXF stands for Drawing Exchange Format. Autodesk introduced it so drawings could move between AutoCAD…

What Is a DWG File? An Easy Guide for CAD Beginners

You have learned what CAD is and tried drawing a few lines, adding dimensions or working with layers. Now where does that drawing go when you save it? In many…

Leave a Reply

Don't Miss out

What Is a DXF File? A Practical Guide to CAD Exchange

  • November 4, 2026
What Is a DXF File? A Practical Guide to CAD Exchange

What Is a DWG File? An Easy Guide for CAD Beginners

  • October 30, 2026
What Is a DWG File? An Easy Guide for CAD Beginners

What’s New in GstarRender: AI Architectural Visualization from Concept to Video

  • October 29, 2026
What’s New in GstarRender: AI Architectural Visualization from Concept to Video

GstarCAD Deep Dive: What’s New in Batch Plotting for 2027?

  • October 20, 2026
GstarCAD Deep Dive: What’s New in Batch Plotting for 2027?

Old Factory Renovation with AI Rendering: Reimagine Industrial Buildings with GstarRender

  • October 15, 2026
Old Factory Renovation with AI Rendering: Reimagine Industrial Buildings with GstarRender

GstarCAD Deep Dive: What Really Happens Inside a CAD Block?

  • September 29, 2026
GstarCAD Deep Dive: What Really Happens Inside a CAD Block?

Discover more from Gstarsoft's Blog

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading