Object Selection & Handling

Object Selection and Handling refers to the method of selecting, modifying and manipulating objects in the editor.

Most objects are required to be selected before modifications can be performed.

The Select Tool

Ribbon : Properties Toolbar (top left corner of editor)

Default : Top left corner of the editor

Right click : Select (shown above)

Objects are selected by means of the Select tool found at the top of the default toolbar at the left of the editor. It is also found by right clicking in the editor and selecting the tool shown above from the short cut menu. This tool is only enabled when there are objects in the editor to select.

Objects can be selected individually or grouped together for manipulation or modification purposes.

Objects can be selected by dragging a selection rectangle around the objects to be selected.

The direction of the selection rectangle dictates which objects will be selected.

Use this sample drawing or create a similar sketch in the workspace.

The Edit Tool

Ribbon : Properties Toolbar (top left corner of editor)

Default : Top left corner of the editor

Right click : Select (shown above)

The Edit tool applies a series of control points to the segments and control points of a selected object.

The curvature of a blend is bisected by control points and the Edit tool is used to access these points by applying nodes and handles. This allows infinite manipulation of the points to control the shape of the object.

Multiple nodes can be selected and equal or non-equal curvatures can be applied to the control points.

The node control options are displayed after the object is selected. In the example below, the linked widths of the curve are modified.

Using the Edit tool to control the linked widths

The Selector Shell

The Selector Shell is attached to an object which has been selected using the Select tool.

The Selector Shell allows in-place modifications and manipulations by using the handles, the rotator bar and the reference point.

Selector Shell properties

X-Y Axis handles and labels

Handles at each corner for resizing

Handles at each midpoint for stretching

Green Rotator Bar and Handle used for rotating

Yellow Reference Point used to move or copy

Selector Shell Properties

The Selector Shell, shown above consists of the following features :

X-Y Axis handles and labels representing the X and Y axes in a 2-dimensional plane.

Handles at each corner and at each midpoint of the selection rectangle. Corner handles are used for re-sizing the selected objects. By holding down the SHIFT key whilst dragging a corner handle the aspect ratio (the relative X-Y scale) will be maintained.

Midpoint handles, used for stretching the objects within. By dragging the handles at the top or bottom of the selector shell, the object selection will be stretched along the vertical (Y) axis. By dragging the handles at the sides of the selector shell, the object selection will be stretched along the horizontal (X) axis.

Green Rotator Bar and Handle. By left clicking onto the green rotator handle which lies just outside the selector shell, the objects within can be rotated in a positive (anti-clockwise) or negative (clockwise) direction. The angle of rotation can also be input into the Rotation field of the Inspector Bar.

Yellow Reference Point. This is the point by which objects are repositioned in the editor. The position of the Reference Point can be moved by typing in the keyboard letter D when the objects are selected. Use the reference point locator, shown right, to reposition the reference point To return the reference point to its default position, select the objects, then right click and select Default Reference Point from the local menu.

2D-3D Selector Properties

The Selector properties can be set to select objects in 2D mode, displaying a selector shell and an X-Y axis, shown below.

The Selector properties can be set to select objects in 3D mode, displaying a selector shell and an X-Y-Z axis, shown below.

The Selector properties can be set so that a distinction is made between 2D profiles and 3D objects. In this case, the Selector Shell settings are applied to automatically toggle between  2D or 3D mode, depending on the selected object.  This is done using the Selector 2D Properties shown below.

Setting the 2D/3D Selector Mode

To set the 2D/3D Selector Mode so that it automatically switches between the selection mode for a 2D or 3D object, right click in the workspace and select Selector 2D Properties (Selector 3D Properties)

Select the General page, then activate 2D/3D Depending on Selected Object and Space Mode, shown below.

Applying the 2D/3D Selector Mode to automatically adapt to selected object

Toggle 2D/3D

The Selector can be toggled between 2D and 3D mode when selecting either 2D profiles or 3D objects.

In the example below, the Selector properties are toggled between 2D, below left and 3D, below right.

Conceptual Selector

Selector (2D/3D) Properties | Selector 3D | Configuration | Use Conceptual

This flexible design tool allows you to customize the selector to any visual and editing parameters when manipulating objects using move, scale, rotate etc.

Select the 3D Object, then right click and select 3D Selector Properties to switch between custom and classical selector modes.

Sketch above left shows classic simple 3D Selector; image right shows conceptual selector using User | Move Rotate profile

In the example below, the cursor is attached to the rotator handle on the Y (green) axis. By moving the cursor along the circular path, the object will be rotated about the Z (blue) axis.

Rotating the object by attaching the cursor to the Y (green) axis and rotating around the Z (blue) axis

In the example below, the cursor is attached to the scale handle on the Y (green) axis. By moving the cursor along the path towards the green shaded area, the object will be scaled from this point outwards, not from the center.

Scaling the object along the Y axis from the point shown by the arrow

By attaching the cursor to the node shown by the arrow below, the object will be scaled horizontally (along the Y axis). The reference point of the scale will be at the intersection of the axes.

Scaling the object along the Y axis from the point shown by the arrow. Reference point of scale is the intersection of the axes.

Selector Mark Size

Selector Properties | General | Mark Size

A Mark Size option is available in the General page in the Selector Properties dialog.

This option adjusts the handles and axis markers of the 2D or 3D Selector Shell.

This allows the user to personalize how the selector shell features are displayed when selecting an object.

In the illustration below left, the default mark size for the selector shell features is shown.

In the illustration below right, the default mark size is increased to 6.

Selector handles shown in 2D and 3D

Example

1. Select the 2D or 3D Selector Properties option in the status bar at the base of the editor.
2. Select General > Mark Size.
3. Check the Calculate Automatically (4 pixels) to set the Custom Size.
4. Uncheck the Calculate Automatically option and input a new value in the Custom Size field.

Selector 2D – Y-Axis

Selector Properties | Selector 2D

The Y-axis of the selector shell allows the rotation of a selected 2D object using the reference point as the rotation pivot.

In the illustration below, the illustration on the right was rotated using the Y-handle.

Rotating a 2D object using the Y-Axis handle. Selector Properties set to 2D.

Axis Labels

Selector Properties | Selector 2D

The option to Show Axis Labels is available in the Selector 2D page in the Selector Properties dialog.

When enabled, it displays the XY axis labels in accordance with the World Coordinate System.

In the illustration below, the object is selected in an Isometric view, aligning the axis label to correspond to the WCS.

Show Axis Y

A new 2D Selector Property option Show Axis Y has been added to the in the Selector Properties options.

When disabled, the Selector Shell displays the handles and the X-axis handle (below left)

When enabled, the Selector Shell displays the handles, and the X and Y axis (below right)

Example

1. Select the 2D or 3D Selector Properties option in the status bar at the base of the editor.
2. Select the Selector 2D page.
3. Activate Show Axis Y.

Letters for X-Y axes

Labels for the X-Y axis handles in the 2D Selector Properties options remain aligned orthographically and in alignment with the current view and workplane.

X-Y Axis labels remain aligned during rotation. Axis labels are non-zoomable.

Keep Center of Extents

Found at bottom right of editor after objects are selected

Select objects | Right Click | Keep Center of Extents

The Selector Shell is used for dynamically changing the size and scale of the selected objects. When objects are selected, a selector shell with handles is placed around the objects.

Selecting specific handles allows either the resizing (scale) or stretching (size) of the objects contained within the selector shell.

By activating the Keep Center of Extents option after the objects are selected allows the scaling or stretching to be activated from the center of the selection.

In the example below, the drawing is selected and the Keep Center of Extents option is activated in the Status bar at the bottom of the editor. This can also be done by right clicking and selecting this option from the local menu.

By dragging any of the corner handles, the drawing will be resized using the center of the object selection as the reference point, shown below.

Maintaining the Aspect Ratio

When a proportional and equal scale is required, hold down the SHIFT keyboard key when dragging the corner handles.

Selector ‘Keep Size’

Select objects | Right Click | Keep Size

An option is available in the 2D and 3D Selector option in the Local Menu. When enabled, this option scales the distances between the selected objects, without scaling the objects themselves.

Example

In the example below, the size of the rectangles is shown as ‘A’. The distance between the objects is shown as ‘B’.

The objects are selected using a window selection, then the context menu is displayed by right-clicking in the editor.

By selecting the Keep Size option, shown above, the objects retain their original size but the distances between the objects will be scaled.

TAKE NOTE

This feature responds to a selector shell scale only.

Selection Modes

These options control how the selection movement operates. Options include :

Window Selection

A left-to-right selection direction is referred to as a window and only objects contained within the selection rectangle will be selected.

 

Window (left to right) selection selects only objects fully contained within the selection rectangle

Crossing Selection

A right-to-left selection direction is referred to as a crossing and objects contained within and cut through by the selection rectangle will be selected.

The right-to-leftselection method can either be from top right to bottom left, shown below, or bottom right to top left. The selection area of the window is light green, with a dashed line selection outline, shown below.

Crossing (right to left selection) selects objects intersected by or contained within the selection rectangle

Rectangular mode

Creates a rectangular-shaped selection around the objects. This method includes Windows and Crossing selections, shown above.

Window Polygon mode

Creates a free-form window selector shown below which will select only the objects fully contained within the polygon-shaped selection, shown below left. In the illustration below right, only the line fully contained within the polygon-shaped window is selected.

Crossing Polygon mode

Creates a free-form crossing selector which selects only the objects fully contained within and intersected by the polygon-shaped selection, shown below left. In the illustration below right, only the line fully contained within the polygon-shaped window is selected.

Fence mode

Uses an unclosed polygonal shape to define objects to be selected.

Use Previous Selection

When objects have been selected for modification or duplication, this option allows for the most selection to be re selected for modification.

2D Push Mode | Region Edit

Allows node points within a closed polyline or region to be manipulated by using the 2D Push Mode. Also works on node points within a region. When Push Mode is activated, adjacent vertices and line geometry are correspondingly updated when nodes are pushed.

2D Edit Mode

Edit | Edit Mode

This 2D Edit tool toggles between 2D and 3D by turning off 3D objects, editing and modification tools so that the modification process is focused only on 2D objects.

At a local menu level, only the 2D Selector is enabled, which then works with the selected object’s Coordinate System.

Switching to 2D editing mode to simplify editing of 2D/3D features

Take Note

Objects can only be manipulated or modified after they have been selected.

Refining the Selection

When objects are selected and contained within the Selector Shell, additional objects may be included or objects already selected can be removed from the Selector Shell using the Add/Remove options.

Worked Example

Use this sample drawing or create a similar sketch in the editor.

Add/Remove

Object can be selected using a selection window, shown below, then objects added or removed using the SHIFT keyboard key. In the example below, all objects within the selector shell are selected, then the SHIFT keyboard key in held while the outer circle is removed. Notice the ± symbol attached to the cursor.

Holding down the SHIFT key to deselect (Remove) the circle from the selection

Likewise, objects can be included into the current selection using the SHIFT keyboard key. In the example below, the SHIFT key is held while the outer circle, previously removed, is added into the selection.

Holding down the SHIFT to reselect (Add) the circle into the selection

When objects are added from different locations in the drawing, the Selector Shell expands to include all objects, irrespective of the distance between then, illustrated below.

Selector Shell expands to include the top right circle

Relocating the Reference Point

Right click | Local Menu | Edit Reference Point

When objects are selected and contained within the Selector Shell, the yellow reference point provides the ‘pick-up’ point of the selected objects. This by default is the center of the extents of the selection, but is frequently not the most convenient anchor by which to move or copy the selection.

Objects selected, reference point in center of selection

To change the reference point, the Edit Reference Point option is used. When objects are selected, right click and select EditReference Point from the local menu. Alternatively, the keyboard shortcut D can be input.

A floating rotator handle is displayed, shown below, allowing a new reference point to be selected.

In this example, the reference point is moved to the bottom vertex of the angled lines, shown below.

Default Reference Point

To return a moved reference point to its default location in the center of the selection, right click and select the Default Reference Point from the local menu.

Take Note

Relocating the Reference Point of a Selection is a single-instance application. When the objects are reselected, the reference point reverts to the default position in the center of the selection.

Select Most Recent

The most recently drawn object can be selected using the F7 function key. By pressing the F7 key successively, the drawing objects are selected in the reverse order from which they were drawn, starting from the most recent.

Select by

Edit | Select by

Selection filters can be used so that objects of similarity can be selected. This is particularly useful for selecting, for example, all objects on the same layer.

In the example below, all the objects on the Dims layer were selected using Edit > Select by > Layer. The Dims layer was then selected and any or all objects residing on that layer are selected.

All objects on the ‘Dims’ layer selected using Edit > Select by Layer

Likewise, all objects of a particular type can be selected. In the example below, all Diameter Dimensions are selected using the Edit > Selectby > Entity Type >Diameter Dimension option.

All Diameter Dimensions selected using Edit > Select by > Entity Type > Diameter Dimensions

Select by Type sub-Type

Edit | Select by… | Entity Type

The Select by Type tool has the ability to select by object sub-types.

In the example below, 2 sub-types of dimensions are selected.

Edit | Select by… | Entity Type