Clarifying How to Use the space bar modifier with selections

[Boldline]

I've been running into some issues with strange paste results or seeing the selection of objects spread apart as I scale them - reminiscent of the issues we had when the space bar modifier was not fixed.
In this case here, I can't make a selection bounding box around my design, I can only click on it to select it - then when I cut it and paste it back, it spreads things out as shown below in the pics and in this video. The first half of the video is me attempting repeatedly and unsuccessfully to get a bounding box to work before resorting to just clicking on the group to select it
I assume I am not using the space bar modifier correctly?

When I went back to my file after writing this post, I can select with a bounding box correctly again and paste/cut/paste results in a normal expected result again.... so I'm trying to figure out what I am doing to change the settings

Original copied design:

After Pasting:

[Boldline]

Ok I figured out part of my own problem. I had the same design positioned lower on the artboard in a different layer that I had turned off the view on - but I had not also locked it. So when I went to grab just the top one in the top layer, it also selected the one in the lower unlocked but hidden layer.
I'm still trying to figure out why at times it won't let me make a bounding box....

[VectorStyler]

@Boldline Send me the file, I will try to replicate the issue.

[Boldline]

@vectoradmin just sent the file. I figured out my issue with the paste being wonky - that was my fault for not locking the lowest layer and only turning off the view.
The file I just emailed, my main issue at this point is why I can't drag out a bounding box selection around my design. I'm pretty confident it's user error on my part
thanks!

[Boldline]

(Adding this conclusion here so readers of the thread understand what the solution was)

@vectoradmin Just emailed you back - I think the main issue was that I still had it in magic wand mode and had not swapped that mode back to default rectangle selection. Maybe there needs to be an option built in to the magic wand that if the user begins a click and drag, it defaults back to rectangle selection? because the magic wand only requires a click, no drag.
This way the user is not confused when there is no selection made -

(just saw your email confirming this)

[Boldline]

@Boldline said in Clarifying How to Use the space bar modifier with selections:

I think the main issue was that I still had it in magic wand mode and had not swapped that mode back to default rectangle selection.

@vectoradmin I know you're aware of this topic and are working on a solution. I wanted to add that it's not just the selection tool that cannot be used if magic wand is activated, but also if I switch to a completely unrelated tool such as the zoom view tool; it will not work with magic wand still the active icon in the toolbar.
It's easy to hit "M", use the magic wand and then just continue on with editing and forget it's still "active". We were talking about other ways to use the magic wand as well as ways to deactivate it. Adding a keyboard shortcut would help. If we get into the habit of pressing "M" to use and then "__" to switch back.
Would it make sense to have the magic wand switch back to standard rectangle selection mode if any other tool is selected that is completely unrelated to to magic wand? Or does it make more sense to do the reverse and allow other tools to be used even if the magic wand is the active selection tool method?
@vectoradmin - you are most likely far ahead of me on these ideas, but I wanted to share in case they help us think through the best way to set it up

[VectorStyler]

@Boldline I think the main issue here is that the Box / Lasso / Magic Wand are not actually tools, but selection modes, that can function in combination with other tools.

At least Box and Lasso fit well this pattern. Maybe we need to change magic wand?

[Boldline]

@vectoradmin said in Clarifying How to Use the space bar modifier with selections:

Maybe we need to change magic wand?

Maybe- I think it depends on what ways it can still function with other tools and if that is affected. Your layout makes sense - it is a selection method just like the other two it resides with on the toolbar.
Illustrator (not that it's better, just as a point of reference) seems to treats it like unique tool that can be clicked away from

Thinking more on it - one thing that helps in Illustrator is that the magic wand has a unique cursor. It's pretty clear just from looking at it, that you're not in the default selection tool - but in VS, it's harder to know that because it looks like the other two selection options.
If you decide at some point to expand the way magic wand can be used, I'd not want to get away from the traditional arrow cursor for that, but could we add an asterisk next to it - to remind users they are not in the other selection modes? That might be enough, along with a keyboard shortcut for the standard selection to solve the problem.