The schematic editor only features rectangular selection (with different behaviour left to and from right).
I very much miss the the LASSO selection, which is use intensively with other EDA tools.
How can I file a feature request for the LASSO selection (in schematic and layout)?
Marko
You can give the feature request below an upvote:
Itâs only 9 1/2 years old, and until someone gets around to implementing it, you will have to work with combinations of rectangle selections and holding down [Shift] and/or [Ctrl]. With this you can add, subtract or toggle items in a selection, and you can combine them with filters and toggling layer visibility to determine what types of objects are actually selectable.
On top of that there is also the context menu (right click while a selection is active) and then: Select / Filter Selected Items.
There are many (1000+) feature requests, and a limited amount of available time from the Kicad developers to implement all those features. This one does not have an official âlow priorityâ rating (It does have an âIncomplete Reportâ status tag), but I guess itâs treated as a low priority because working with multiple rectangle selects and the modifier keys does give you a very similar capability. KiCadâs current method is more powerful as it lets you build up a complex selection in sections, and also subtract (and toggle) items from a selection. I do not see a big difference between 10 clicks to create a polygon, or a bunch of click + drag (Also note the difference between dragging left and dragging right) combined with the modifier keys.
There is an open merge request to add this functionality, but itâs not quite ready yet so is unlikely to make it in v9.
If you have lots of fine lines or nets then the lasso is making a huge difference!
I understand that the teams resources are limited. But this is such a basic have to feature, that I was surprised itâs not there in the first place.
Iâm not a good programmer (just a hardware engineer), so I can not write the function. I only can provide user experience feedback and donate some money, hoping it helps to keep KiCad going.
Marko
Thanks for the link.
I signed up for Gitlab and provided an UpVote.
Marko
I have never used Lasso selection but I have never had any problem with selections at KiCad schematics.
I suppose that a few actions from:
can allow me faster to clarify my selection than I will need to draw precisely polygon shape.
So from my point of view making this feature will be wasting of resources.
Lots and lots of tools use the Lasso selection - for a good reason!
I use it lot. It is the natural way of doing things as a human.
Extrem Example: Of cause you could also just type into a command line you choice of elements to select, but would this be a good user interface?
The Lasson Selection is important and definitely not a waste of time.
Marko
Do you realize what you are writing about?
I wonder how in command line would you identify all wire segments, bus segments, bus entries, wire connection dots, GND and other Power symbols, labels and text boxes you want to include in the selection.
In typical schematic you are not able to draw selection not crossing any wires so does Lasson Selection works like drag to right or drag to left selection or may be it depends if you draw polygon clockwise or counterclockwise?
I ask because I have never used it.
It is important as drawing the polygon you will have to know if its borders have to cross last segment at any wire you want to insert in your selection or you have to cross first segment you donât want in your selection.
I intensively use selection only when I finish each schematic. I want it being annotated not in order I have entered symbols but being annotated successively segment by segment. So after finishing schematic I cut it into many segments (selecting and moving one after another). Then I re-annotate everything and move all segments back at their original positions.
May be Lasson Selection will make it little easier but really only little. I donât remember any of such selection needed more than 2 rectangle selections.
There is also âGroupingâ that can be used in conjunction with âRectangular Selectionsâ. This can assist in the movement of more awkward areas until/if the Lasso feature arrives.
My âcommand lineâ post was sarcastic - sorry that you didnât get this.
Iâm designing circuits for over 30 years and I would like to stop the discussion, whether there are people who belief that they donât need it. For whose who donât, simply ignore the post. For whose who need it, lets talk about how to promote the task and how to implement it.
I think the below reply is your answer.
It seems as though your wish will be fulfilled in either 3 months or 15 months; probably 15 months. If you wish to walk on the wild side, maybe sooner than the 15 months. 
I treat each discussion as a chance to learn something. Under quoting my text with question I expected the answer, but you wrote the comment to the text that you even didnât quoted. If you want to be clear you should quote text that you then comment. Specially if 3 days passed.
I have never used Lasso selection and hearing about it for the first time wanted to get some knowledge for future. It looked that you are using it âsince alwaysâ so my questions should not be difficult to answer , I thought.
With selections it is always a question what is going to be done with elements contained in selection only partially. If, as I understood you, this Lasso selection is used in many tools than probably there is some common, well known behavior in this matter so I asked about it.
There is an important distinction to be made between âneedâ and âwantâ . . . if I needed the lasso then I wouldnât have been able to use KiCad without it or without some way of replacing that specific functionality.
For example: I do âneedâ variants . . . I have had to use 3rd party plugins to satisfy that need . . . I canât do without it.
Correct. The Lasso makes people who are using it faster.
