Editing > Navigating the Timeline > Element Basics >

# Selecting Elements

You can select a single element or any number of elements.

For information on selecting cuts, see Selecting a Cut.

To select elements on the timeline:

1. Do any of the following.

   To select: | Do this:
   --- | ---
   An element | Click the element.
   Multiple elements | Press Ctrl while clicking each element. To add or subtract from multiple selections, hold Ctrl and select the element to be added or removed.
   A range of elements on a layer or track | Click the first element, hold Shift and click the last element. All elements between the elements you clicked are selected.
   A range of frames on the current track | Hold Ctrl and drag the positioner. The frames on all layers of a track that the positioner passes over are selected.
   A range of frames on all tracks | Hold Shift and drag the positioner. The frames on all layers of each track that the positioner passes over are selected.
   All elements | Click the element selection hot spot or press / on the numeric keypad.
   Any range of frames or elements | Select an option from the Selection Method box (see step 2) and then drag to draw a rectangle or bounding box around the elements that you want to select.

   (a) Element selection hot spot(b) Selection Method box

2. If you want to use the cursor to draw a rectangle or bounding box, select which elements to include in the selection from the Selection Method box.

   Select: | To select:
   --- | ---
   Inclusive | All elements that are partially or entirely included in the bounding box.
   Partial | Only the portions of the elements that fall within the bounding box. Audio is selected on a sub-frame basis if Sub-frame Positioner is selected in the Timeline section of the Preferences menu.
   Partial A/V | Only the portions of the elements that fall within the bounding box. Audio is selected on a frame basis even if Sub-frame Positioner is selected in the Timeline section of the Preferences menu.
   Bounded | Only elements that are fully in the bounding box.

   NoteMore than half the height of an element must be included in the bounding box for the element to be selected. If elements are so tightly spaced that you cannot draw a bounding box without selecting an unwanted element, press Alt+W before drawing the rectangle.

To deselect elements on the timeline:

1. Do any of the following:
   - Press * on the numeric keypad.
   - Click the element selection hot spot (the empty space of the timeline to the right of the slider bar).