Why can't I select an object while in pose mode?

Support Animation and Rigging
1

Hi all!!

Using blender 3.4 with an armature in pose mode, I find out I can’t select a mesh object while in pose mode. I have to switch to the armature’s object mode before selecting a different object. Before v2.8, while in pose mode, one could select a mesh object and blender would switch to selected object and object mode.

Now, I find I have go from pose mode to object mode before selecting a new object. Which means a hot-key combo, maybe dealing with a pie menu, then into object mode. Why can’t I just switch to a mesh object from pose mode when I select a mesh object?

Thanks for any help,
Randy

2

There a menu entry called “Lock Object Modes” in the top bar’s edit menu:
https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/interface/window_system/topbar.html#bpy-types-toolsettings-lock-object-mode

I guess that’s enabled in your current version, but was disabled in 2.x

2 Likes
3

Thanks for the reply!

That sounds like it should do what I want, but not luck with it in my current file.

It does work with a default scene, adding in a single bone armature, switching to armature’s pose mode and selecting the bone, then selecting the cube works fine.

So I wonder why it’s not working in my current work file? Will test with other files.

Thanks,
Randy

4

Was your .blend originally made in a version before 3.4? Maybe to test – start a new .blend file in 3.4, then append everything from the original one.

5

Thanks for the reply @cmto

I actually don’t know where the file came from, it was someone else’s file I was helping them with. I just deleted the file without testing it further. @FrankFirsching advice seems to be what I was looking for and I have tested with other files and it works.

Randy

6

Hey everyone. I know this response is in face a year old but to anyone still with this issue here’s another reason it might be happening. I just resolved this problem happening to me hours ago of answering this message and it actually work. It’s object mask mode. You might have accidentally hit the shortcut key, “Alt+Z” while in pose mode and and activated it. Simply just go into the rig’s pose mode and press “ALT+Z” and it will go back to normal. Hope this helps.