How to Use Select Similar in Blender

The Select Similar tool in Blender allows 3D artists to quickly select vertices, edges, faces, or objects that share specific attributes with the currently selected element. This guide explains how to access the Select Similar menu, details its primary options in both Object Mode and Edit Mode, and demonstrates how to adjust its parameters to streamline your 3D modeling workflow.

How to Access the Select Similar Menu

To open the Select Similar menu in Blender, select an element and press Shift + G. Alternatively, you can access it via the top viewport menu:

  • Object Mode: Go to Select > Select Similar.
  • Edit Mode: Go to Select > Select Similar.

Select Similar in Object Mode

When working in Object Mode, the Select Similar menu helps you manage complex scenes by selecting objects based on shared properties:

  • Type: Selects all objects of the same type (e.g., Mesh, Light, Camera, Curve).
  • Collection: Selects objects that belong to the same collection as the active object.
  • Material: Selects objects that share the same active material slot.
  • Color: Selects objects with matching Object Color settings.
  • Pass Index: Selects objects sharing the same Pass Index value used for compositing.

Select Similar in Edit Mode

In Edit Mode, the available options depend on whether you are using Vertex, Edge, or Face selection mode.

Vertex Selection

  • Normal: Selects vertices that point in the same direction.
  • Amount of Adjacent Faces: Selects vertices that connect to the same number of faces.
  • Vertex Groups: Selects vertices that belong to the same vertex group.
  • Amount of Connecting Edges: Selects vertices with an identical number of connected edges.

Edge Selection

  • Length: Selects edges that are the same length.
  • Direction: Selects edges oriented in the same direction.
  • Face Angles: Selects edges that form similar angles between neighboring faces.
  • Seam / Sharp / Crease: Selects edges marked with identical attributes like UV Seams, Sharp Edges, or Bevel/Subdivision Creases.

Face Selection

  • Material: Selects all faces assigned to the same material slot.
  • Area: Selects faces with an equivalent surface area.
  • Polygon Sides: Selects faces that have the same number of vertices (e.g., triangles, quads, or n-gons).
  • Co-planar: Selects faces that lie on the same flat geometric plane.
  • Normal: Selects faces pointing in the same direction.

Adjusting the Threshold Value

After executing a Select Similar command, you can refine your selection using the Adjust Last Operation panel in the bottom-left corner of the viewport (or by pressing F9).

Increasing or decreasing the Threshold slider allows you to widen or narrow the range of similarity. For example, when selecting edges by length, a higher threshold will select edges that are roughly similar in length rather than exact matches.