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Pre-Select Highlight

by Grigorij·Workflow

Images © Grigorij. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Pre-Select Highlight stands out in the Superhive library for bringing a 3ds Max-style hover highlight to Blender's viewport, with per-object-type control and adjustable sensitivity.

What is Pre-Select Highlight?

Pre-Select Highlight is a Blender add-on that adds real-time visual feedback when you hover over objects in the 3D Viewport. As the cursor passes over an object, it is highlighted so you can see what is about to be selected before committing to a click. The developer describes the behaviour as similar to 3ds Max, where hovering indicates which object you'll select.

While in pre-select highlight mode, you press "S" over an object to add it to the selection and "D" to remove it, so you can select and deselect without leaving the mode. Sensitivity is adjustable to control how closely you need to hover, and highlighting can be enabled or disabled per object type, such as meshes and curves. Display options include showing highlighted objects in front of others, showing object names, and changing the wireframe color mode.

The add-on installs as a .zip through Blender's Add-ons preferences and creates a Pre-Select N-Panel. Settings can be adjusted from both the preferences and the N-Panel, and it is aimed at object selection and scene layout tasks in complex scenes.

Who is Pre-Select Highlight best for?

Pre-Select Highlight is best for blender artists working in complex scenes who want visual feedback on object selection and faster scene layout in the 3D Viewport.

How much does Pre-Select Highlight cost?

Pre-Select Highlight is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Dynamic pre-selection highlighting of objects under the mouse cursor in the 3D Viewport
  • Select with "S" and deselect with "D" while in pre-select highlight mode, without leaving it
  • Adjustable sensitivity to control how closely you need to hover to highlight an object
  • Selective type highlighting to enable or disable pre-select for meshes and curves
  • Visual options: display highlighted objects in front, show object names, and change wireframe color mode
  • Settings accessible from both add-on preferences and a dedicated Pre-Select N-Panel
  • Included documentation

Tags

#Blender#add-on#viewport#object selection#modeling#scene layout#workflow#highlight

Frequently asked questions

How do I install Pre-Select Highlight in Blender?

Pre-Select Highlight installs from a .zip file. Download the add-on archive, open Blender and go to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons, then click Install. Navigate to the downloaded .zip, select it, and click Install Add-on, then enable it by ticking the checkbox next to its name. Once installed, a Pre-Select N-Panel is created in your panel list. Press the designated hotkey "D" or use the button from the menu to run the pre-selection highlighting, and you're ready to hover over objects.

How do I select and deselect objects with Pre-Select Highlight?

Pre-Select Highlight lets you work directly while hovering. Press the "D" key to activate the add-on, or use the button from the N-Panel, then move your mouse cursor over objects to highlight them. With an object highlighted, press "S" to add it to the selection or "D" to remove it, all without leaving pre-select highlight mode. To turn off highlighting during your workflow, press the ESC key or the right mouse button whenever you need to.

Can I limit Pre-Select Highlight to certain object types?

Pre-Select Highlight includes selective type highlighting, so you can enable or disable pre-selection highlights for specific object types such as meshes and curves under its Detection Settings. You can also adjust the sensitivity slider to change how closely you need to hover before an object highlights, and for large scenes reducing sensitivity is suggested to improve performance. These options are available from both the add-on preferences and the Pre-Select N-Panel, letting you tailor the behaviour to your scene.

Is Pre-Select Highlight free to use?

Pre-Select Highlight is listed here as free. Licensing terms can change over time, so check the developer's page on Superhive for the current details before downloading. The add-on is distributed as a .zip file that you install through Blender's Add-ons preferences, and it includes documentation. A demo video is also available if you want to see the add-on before installing it into your own Blender setup.

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