Arcane Select

Select through mesh elements in Blender without X-Ray mode

Arcane Select is a Blender add-on that allows you to select vertices, edges, and faces through solid meshes without enabling X-Ray mode. It provides three selection tools: Box, Lasso, and Circle selection with "select-through" functionality.

Features

• Box Select Through: Drag a rectangle to select mesh elements through the mesh
• Lasso Select Through: Draw a freeform lasso to select through the mesh
• Circle Select Through: Drag to define a circle to select through the mesh
• Backside Only: Option to only select elements whose normals point away from the view
• Precise Mode: More accurate segment-based tests for faces/edges (slower but more precise)
• Selection Actions: Set, Add, Subtract, or Toggle selection modes
• Temporary X-Ray: Optionally enable Viewport X-Ray during selection (restored automatically)

Installation

Blender 4.2+ (Extensions Platform)

1. Download the add-on files
2. In Blender, go to Edit > Preferences > Extensions
3. Click Install from Disk and select the add-on folder
4. Enable "Arcane Select" in the extensions list

Blender 4.0-4.1 (Legacy Add-ons)

1. Download the add-on files
2. In Blender, go to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons
3. Click Install... and select the add-on folder
4. Enable "Arcane Select" in the add-ons list

Usage

Panel Interface

After installation, you'll find the Arcane Select panel in the 3D Viewport:

1. Press N to open the sidebar
2. Navigate to the Arcane Select tab
3. The panel appears when a mesh object is selected

Panel Controls

• Action: Choose selection behavior
  • Set: Replace current selection
  • Add: Add to current selection
  • Subtract: Remove from current selection
  • Toggle: Toggle selection state
• Backside Only: Only select elements facing away from the view
• Precise: Use more accurate (but slower) selection tests
• Temp X-Ray During Selection: Temporarily enables viewport X-Ray while selecting, then restores the previous state
• Tool Buttons: Box, Lasso, Circle selection tools

Keyboard Shortcuts

When in Edit Mode with a mesh selected:

• Alt + Q: Box Select Through
• Alt + W: Lasso Select Through
• Alt + C: Circle Select Through

Tool Usage

1. Box Select: Click and drag to create a rectangular selection area
2. Lasso Select: Click and drag to draw a freeform selection shape
3. Circle Select: Click and drag to define a circular selection area

All tools will select mesh elements (vertices, edges, faces) that fall within the selection area, even if they're hidden behind other geometry.

Requirements

• Blender 4.2.0 or higher (recommended)
• Blender 4.0+ (legacy installation method)

License

GPL-2.0-or-later

Copyright (c) 2025 Pixonix Studio (James Jeffries)

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

See the LICENSE file for full license terms.

Support

This add-on is compatible with Blender's GPL licensing and follows Blender extension development standards.

For issues or questions, please ensure you're using a supported Blender version and have followed the installation instructions correctly.