Tips & Tricks for Adobe InDesign: Content selection tool/Hide donut circle

Step 1

Do you sometimes feel the same way? You're working on a document and click on some graphic, actually just want to move it, and what happens? Ok, in this case it worked.

Step 2

But if I go directly to the center of the circle and then click, I move the image inside the circle. This happens because the content selection tool appears in the middle and I can use it to move the image within the circle.

Step 3

This is sometimes quite practical and has been available since CS5. I don't always have to grab the direct selection tool to move the image.

Step 4

The problem is that we often unfortunately get the donut or the weird circle, and we might not want that at all, because we wanted to move the whole circle with content.

Step 5

How can we deactivate this? It's quite simple, it's not really a trick, it's just basic knowledge. Because this has often annoyed me myself, I don't want to withhold this from you and show you where you can deactivate this option. View>Extras>Hide content selection tool.

Step 6

As soon as I have done this, the donut is no longer displayed. I can now really move my circles in peace without having to worry about moving the images within the circle.

Step 7

How can I still move the image within the circle quickly? I simply press the A button, then I have the selection tool directly and can then move the image at my leisure.

Step 8

As soon as you press the V key again, i.e. deactivate it and then click on it again, you can move the circles as normal.

Step 9

If you really want to have this donut displayed again, you can also define it using a keyboard shortcut via Edit>Keyboard shortcuts.... Unfortunately, this is not visible in the screenshot.

Step 10

In the Keyboard shortcuts menu under Product area: View menu and Commands>Extras: Hide content selection tool you can, for example, assign the command to the F4 key. Then confirm with OK.

Step 11

If I now press the F4 key, the donut is displayed.

Step 12

If I press F4 again, it is no longer displayed.





You can do this however you like, but I also think it's quite good that you can deactivate it, because I personally don't need it, I prefer to press the A key, it's quicker.