Abstract: A method and apparatus for rapidly locating a desired object in a bit-mapped or vector display listed object space, wherein additional information is appended to or stored with the object information. This additional information relates to the relative coordinate position of that object or object element within a larger, more coarsely defined object space grid, such as an 8.times.8 grid. The apparatus and method of the present invention reduces the processing time necessary to locate the desired object within the object space by comparing the object and display area information relative to the grid for rapid preliminary acceptance or rejection prior to further detail search for the object or object elements.