Version: Unity 6.1 Alpha (6000.1)
Language : English
Pick and select GameObjects in the Scene view
Select a GameObject that overlaps with other GameObjects

Select GameObjects

You can select a single GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
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in the Scene viewAn interactive view into the world you are creating. You use the Scene View to select and position scenery, characters, cameras, lights, and all other types of Game Object. More info
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or from the Hierarchy window. You can also select more than one GameObject at a time.

The Editor highlights selected GameObjects and their children in the Scene view. By default, the selection outline color is orange, and the child outline color is blue. You can also choose to highlight selected the wireframes of selected GameObjects in a different color. You can change all of these outline highlight colors from the Preferences window. To open the Preferences window, go to Edit > Preferences (macOS: Unity > Settings) in the main menu.

If you are working with a large SceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
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that contains a lot of Scene items, such as GameObjects, TerrainThe landscape in your scene. A Terrain GameObject adds a large flat plane to your scene and you can use the Terrain’s Inspector window to create a detailed landscape. More info
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objects, CamerasA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
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, and Lights, selecting multiple objects can be difficult. To help you select only the items you want, use the Scene picking controls to block some objects from being picked or use the selection piercing menu.

For more information about the outline and wireframe selection visualizations, refer to Gizmos menu.

To select a single GameObject:

  • Click on it in the Scene view. If you repeatedly click on the shared space between overlapping GameObjects, the selection cycles between them. You can also use the selection piercing menu to select a specific GameObject when multiple GameObjects are in the same location.
  • Click on the name of the GameObject in the Hierarchy window.

To select or deselect multiple GameObjects:

  • Drag a rectangle around multiple GameObjects to selects anything that is inside this bounding box.
  • Hold the Shift key and select GameObjects in the Scene. You can also use hold Ctrl (macOS: Command) and select a GameObject to add or remove GameObjects from the selection.

Note: When a feature in the Editor needs a single selected GameObject to perform an action, it looks for an “active” object. For example, when the Editor has to decide which GameObject to use as the pivot for transform tools while in Pivot mode. By default, Unity considers the last GameObject you select to be the “active” object. When you hold Shift and select one of several selected GameObjects, you change which one of them is active. If a GameObject is active in the Scene view, Unity doesn’t display any visible cues that it’s active. However, you can see which GameObject is active in the Scene view when you repeatedly hold Shift and click in Pivot mode with multiple objects selected.

Additional resources

Pick and select GameObjects in the Scene view
Select a GameObject that overlaps with other GameObjects