29.6.1 Selecting the Object(s) to be Manipulated

In order to manipulate the objects in the scene, you will begin by selecting the object or objects of interest in the Names list in the Scene Description dialog box (Figure  29.6.1). The Names list is a list of the geometric objects that currently exist in the scene (including those that are presently invisible). If you select more than one object at a time, any operation (transformation, color specification, etc.) will apply to all the selected objects. You can also select objects by clicking on them in the graphics display using the mouse-probe button, which is, by default, the right mouse button. (See Section  29.3 for information about mouse button functions.) To deselect a selected object, simply click on its name in the Names list.

When you select one or more objects (either in the Names list or in the display), the Type field will report the type of the selected object(s). Possible types for a single object include mesh, surface, contour, vector, path, and text (i.e., annotation text). This information is especially helpful when you need to distinguish two or more objects with the same name. When more than one object is selected, the type displayed is Group.