diff --git a/R/step1_helper_facets.R b/R/step1_helper_facets.R
index 5121b93e..41c13235 100644
--- a/R/step1_helper_facets.R
+++ b/R/step1_helper_facets.R
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ step1_rearrange_facets = function(tmo, o) {
 		precheck_aes = function(a, layer, shpvars, args) {
 			within(a, {
 				
-				if (inherits(value, "tmapDimVars") || (inherits(value, "tmapMVShpVars") && length(shpvars) == 1L && value$n >= 1)) {
+				if (inherits(value, "tmapDimVars") || (inherits(value, "tmapMVShpVars") && length(shpvars) == 1L)) {
 					if (inherits(value, "tmapDimVars")) {
 						if (!(value$x %in% smeta$dims)) stop("Unknown dimension in tm_dim_vars", call. = FALSE)
 					} else {
@@ -117,20 +117,24 @@ step1_rearrange_facets = function(tmo, o) {
 						if (!is.list(value_orig)) value = list(value_orig)
 						names(value) = sapply(value, "[", 1)
 					} else if (inherits(value, "tmapShpVars")) {
-						if (is.na(value$n)) {
-							value = as.list(shpvars)
-						} else {
-							if (length(shpvars) < value$n) {
-								stop("tm_shape_vars defined for n = ", value$n, " while there are only ", length(shpvars), " variables", call. = FALSE)
-							}
+						if (!is.na(value$ids[1])) {
+							if (!all(value$ids %in% 1L:length(shpvars))) stop("tm_shape_vars defined for ids = ", paste(value$ids, collapse = ", "), " while there are only ", length(shpvars), " variables", call. = FALSE)
+							value = as.list(shpvars[value$ids])
+						} else if (!is.na(value$n)) {
+							if (length(shpvars) < value$n) stop("tm_shape_vars defined for n = ", value$n, " while there are only ", length(shpvars), " variables", call. = FALSE)
 							value = as.list(shpvars[1L:value$n])
+						} else {
+							value = as.list(shpvars)
 						}
 					} else if (inherits(value, "tmapMVShpVars")) {
-						if (is.na(value$n)) {
-							value = list(shpvars)
-						} else {
+						if (!is.na(value$ids[1])) {
+							if (!all(value$ids %in% 1L:length(shpvars))) stop("tm_shape_vars defined for ids = ", paste(value$ids, collapse = ", "), " while there are only ", length(shpvars), " variables", call. = FALSE)
+							value = list(shpvars[value$ids])
+						} else if (!is.na(value$n)) {
 							if (length(shpvars) < value$n) stop("tm_shape_vars specified with n = ", value$n, " but there are only ", length(shpvars), " variables available", call. = FALSE)
 							value = list(shpvars[1L:value$n])
+						} else {
+							value = list(shpvars)
 						}
 					} else {
 						value_orig = value
diff --git a/R/tm_scale_.R b/R/tm_scale_.R
index 2f8d5b72..41a8356d 100644
--- a/R/tm_scale_.R
+++ b/R/tm_scale_.R
@@ -11,18 +11,18 @@ tm_const = function() {
 #' 
 #' tmap function to specify all variables in the shape object
 #' 
-#' @param n the first `n` shape variables are used
-#' @rdname tm_shape_vars
+#' @param n if specified, the first `n` shape variables are used
+#' @param id index numbers of the used shape variables
 #' @export
-tm_shape_vars = function(n = NA) {
-	structure(list(n = n), class = c("tm_shape_vars", "list"))
+tm_shape_vars = function(ids = NA, n = NA) {
+	structure(list(ids = ids, n = n), class = c("tm_shape_vars", "list"))
 }
 
+
 #' @rdname tm_shape_vars
-#' @name tm_mv_shape_vars
 #' @export
-tm_mv_shape_vars = function(n = NA) {
-	structure(list(n = n), class = c("tm_mv_shape_vars", "list"))
+tm_mv_shape_vars = function(ids = NA, n = NA) {
+	structure(list(ids = ids, n = n), class = c("tm_mv_shape_vars", "list"))
 }
 
 #' Scales: automatic scale
diff --git a/R/tmapScale_.R b/R/tmapScale_.R
index b682e742..6cb17d97 100644
--- a/R/tmapScale_.R
+++ b/R/tmapScale_.R
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ tm_mv_dim = function(x, values) {
 
 tmapVars = function(x) {
 	if (inherits(x, "tmapOption")) return(x)
-	if (inherits(x, "tm_shape_vars")) return(structure(list(n = x$n), class = "tmapShpVars"))
-	if (inherits(x, "tm_mv_shape_vars")) return(structure(list(n = x$n), class = "tmapMVShpVars"))
+	if (inherits(x, "tm_shape_vars")) return(structure(list(ids = x$ids, n = x$n), class = "tmapShpVars"))
+	if (inherits(x, "tm_mv_shape_vars")) return(structure(list(ids = x$ids, n = x$n), class = "tmapMVShpVars"))
 	if (inherits(x, "tmapDimVars")) return(x)
 	
 	cls = if (inherits(x, "AsIs")) "tmapAsIs" else if (inherits(x, "tmapUsrCls")) "tmapUsrCls" else "tmapVars"
diff --git a/examples/tm_rgb.R b/examples/tm_rgb.R
index 7a380d72..0919a7b5 100644
--- a/examples/tm_rgb.R
+++ b/examples/tm_rgb.R
@@ -16,16 +16,27 @@ L7_alt = split(L7, "band")
 tm_shape(L7_alt) +
 	tm_rgb()
 
+# with attribute names
 tm_shape(L7_alt) +
 	tm_rgb(col = tm_mv("X1", "X2", "X3"))
 
+# with attribute indices
+tm_shape(L7_alt) +
+	tm_rgb(col = tm_mv_shape_vars(1:3))
+
 if (requireNamespace("terra")) {
 	L7_terra = terra::rast(file)
 	
 	tm_shape(L7_terra) +
 		tm_rgb()
-	
+
+	# with layer names
 	tm_shape(L7_terra) +
 		tm_rgb(tm_mv(names(L7_terra)[1:3]))
+
+	# with layer indices
+	tm_shape(L7_alt) +
+		tm_rgb(col = tm_mv_shape_vars(1:3))
+	
 }
 }
diff --git a/man/tm_rgb.Rd b/man/tm_rgb.Rd
index 1f7aaeb6..f317d239 100644
--- a/man/tm_rgb.Rd
+++ b/man/tm_rgb.Rd
@@ -56,17 +56,28 @@ L7_alt = split(L7, "band")
 tm_shape(L7_alt) +
 	tm_rgb()
 
+# with attribute names
 tm_shape(L7_alt) +
 	tm_rgb(col = tm_mv("X1", "X2", "X3"))
 
+# with attribute indices
+tm_shape(L7_alt) +
+	tm_rgb(col = tm_mv_shape_vars(1:3))
+
 if (requireNamespace("terra")) {
 	L7_terra = terra::rast(file)
 	
 	tm_shape(L7_terra) +
 		tm_rgb()
-	
+
+	# with layer names
 	tm_shape(L7_terra) +
 		tm_rgb(tm_mv(names(L7_terra)[1:3]))
+
+	# with layer indices
+	tm_shape(L7_alt) +
+		tm_rgb(col = tm_mv_shape_vars(1:3))
+	
 }
 }
 }
diff --git a/man/tm_shape_vars.Rd b/man/tm_shape_vars.Rd
index c0d08f8a..cb9bce73 100644
--- a/man/tm_shape_vars.Rd
+++ b/man/tm_shape_vars.Rd
@@ -5,12 +5,14 @@
 \alias{tm_mv_shape_vars}
 \title{tmap function to specify all variables in the shape object}
 \usage{
-tm_shape_vars(n = NA)
+tm_shape_vars(ids = NA, n = NA)
 
-tm_mv_shape_vars(n = NA)
+tm_mv_shape_vars(ids = NA, n = NA)
 }
 \arguments{
-\item{n}{the first \code{n} shape variables are used}
+\item{n}{if specified, the first \code{n} shape variables are used}
+
+\item{id}{index numbers of the used shape variables}
 }
 \description{
 tmap function to specify all variables in the shape object