{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/mouse--family-select","type":"mechanic","id":"mouse--family-select","lang":"en","title":"Selection, addressing and commands","summary":"The cursor identifies the object an action applies to. A game may check one target, a group or a sequence.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/mouse--family-select/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/mouse--family-select.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/mouse--family-select.md","aliases":["Pointing and target selection"],"tags":["Mouse interactions","Applied Mechanics"],"sourceIds":["source-2d319d48a3e49f54"],"sources":[{"id":"source-2d319d48a3e49f54","title":"Human Benchmark","url":"https://humanbenchmark.com/tests/chimp","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"The position of the cursor and the sequence of targets determine who or what the action is applied to."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants and applications\n\n\n\n- Point selection. Action: Click on a specific object or its representation. Application: Select a unit, card, graph node, model part. Conditions: For overlapping objects, you need a way to select the hidden one. \n- Select by switching accessory. Action: Add an object to the set or remove it from it using a modified click. Application: Non-adjacent selection of files, units, vertices, cards. Conditions: Show the entire current set, not just the last object. \n- Range selection. Action: Select start, then end with modifier. Application: Table rows, text range, sequential clips. Conditions: The order and reference element of the range must be defined. \n- Rectangular selection. Action: Extend a frame from one corner to another. Application: Group of units, objects on canvas, image area. Conditions: Explain whether intersection is enough or complete inclusion is required. \n- Lasso selection. Action: Draw an arbitrary area with a closed line. Application: Uneven group of objects, fragment of illustration, tactical zone. Conditions: Show closure and rules for entering the area. \n- Brush selection. Action: Drag the pointer over objects while holding. Usage: Color a selection set, select many small items. Conditions: One pass should not switch the same object multiple times. \n- General selection. Action: Give a command over the sample. Application: All units of the type, connected polygons, area of similar color. Conditions: Specify the search area: screen, document or the whole world. \n- Enumeration of overlapping targets. Action: Use a repeated command or wheel to change the target under the cursor. Application: Dense cards, stacks of cards, objects behind the foreground. Conditions: Show the current candidate until confirmation. \n- First the object, then the action. Action: Select an object and call the appropriate command. Application: Inventory, editor, unit management. Conditions: The selection must be maintained long enough for the command to complete. \n- First the action, then the goal. Action: Select a tool or ability, then click the target. Application: Heal, build, apply an effect, fill an area. Conditions: Show valid targets, cost and cancel method. \n- Source → destination. Action: Click the source, then the destination. Application: Transfer an item, connect nodes, specify an exchange, assign a route. Conditions: This is also an alternative to dragging without holding the button. \n- Context command. Action: Click the target; the action is determined by the target type and the current state. Application: Walk on the ground, attack the enemy, collect a resource, talk. Conditions: Command preview reduces the risk of incorrect context. "},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"Author's working classification for designing games and interactions. Options can overlap and combine; the list is not a generally accepted standard or proven exhaustive list. Application examples are conditional unless a specific verifiable observation is indicated nearby. Sources support individual techniques and technical limitations."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"mouse","id":"family-select","title":"Mouse interactions","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/mouse/#family-select","categoryIds":["section-2"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Pointing and target selection","description":"The cursor identifies the object an action applies to. A game may check one target, a group or a sequence.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/learning-human-benchmark-chimp.webp","width":1280,"height":588,"game":"Human Benchmark","sourceUrl":"https://humanbenchmark.com/tests/chimp","originalUrl":"https://humanbenchmark.com/tests/chimp","credit":"Human Benchmark; public test capture, 2026-10-22","rights":"© Human Benchmark. Actual unsigned test session captured 2026-10-22. Cropped to the application header and task area; advertising outside the task omitted. All rights reserved; excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.","caption":"Human Benchmark: five numbers before concealment on the first click","alt":"Human Benchmark: five numbers before concealment on the first click","markers":[{"x":75,"y":24,"label":"Memorize positions before the numbers are hidden"}]},"tips":["Show the selected target before an irreversible command."],"examples":[{"title":"Human Benchmark","url":"https://humanbenchmark.com/tests/chimp"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/mouse"}}