Selection Methods

Before you start to use modification commands, you need to know how to compose a selection set. If the PICKFIRST variable is ON you can build the selection set before starting the command, else you are prompted to select the entities after you launched the modification command.

Using QUICK SELECT you can specify filters, such as entity type, color, linetype or any other entity property, to compose a selection set.

The SELECTIONPREVIEW and PREVIEWEFFECT system variables facilitate the selection procedure.

Composing a selection set before (pre-pick)

To compose a selection set before launching a modification command do one or more of the following:

• Click entities.
  Selected entity highlight and grips show.

• Window selection:

  • Click to define the first corner of a selection window.
    Move the mouse to the left to define a Crossing Window:
    
    
    
    All entities which overlap the window or are completely inside the window are added to the selection set.
    The selection window displays in dashed lines with a green background.
  • Click to define the first corner of a selection window.
    Move the mouse to the right to define a Window-Inside:
    
    
    
    All entities which are completely inside the window are added to the selection set.
    The selection window displays in continuous lines with a blue background.
  • Pressing the Ctrl key during window selection allows to select faces or edges of 3D solids and surfaces.
    The icon next to the cursor indicates the selection mode:
    
    : Solids (Default)
    : Faces
    : Edges

  Depending on the value of the TIPS system variable, the Hotkey Assistant widget displays to indicate the current selection mode:
  
  

• Press an hold the Shift key, then use one of the above methods to remove entities from the selection set.

Composing a selection set afterwards (post-pick)

Command: SELECT

If you launch a modification command when no selection set is active, you are prompted to select entities. BricsCAD provides a range of selection methods to let you compose your selection set easily.

The various selection methods are:

• Add to set: Selected entities are added to the selection set.

• Subtract from set: Selected entities are removed from the selection set.

• Picking: Place the pickbox over a part of the object and click.

• Select all entities: Select all entities in the entire drawing, including entities which are on hidden layers. Entities on frozen layers are not selected.

• Previous selection: Re-use the previous selection set.

• Last entity in drawing: Select the most recent entity.

• Window: All entities which are inside, overlap or are completely outside a window are selected. You can choose between a rectangle, polygon or a circle.

• Fence: All entities that cross a multi-segment line are selected.

• Point: Click a point to select all closed entities which enclose this point.

• Select by Properties: Displays the Select by Properties context menu to select entities by Color, Layer, Linetype, Name, Thickness, Type, Value, Width or Handle.

• Undo: Undoes the last selection action.

• Location: Displays the Select Location context menu.

Selecting overlapping entities

When entities are close together or lie on top of each other it is difficult or sometimes impossible to select the entities needed.

Cycling through the overlapping entities, highlighting each entity one by one, helps you to select such entities.

Make sure SELECTIONPREVIEW is ON and/or the Quad cursor menu is active.

1. Place the cursor over the overlapping entities.
   One of the entities highlights.

2. Repeatedly hit the TAB key.
   The overlapping entities highlight one by one.

3. Click when the desired entity highlights.

4. Repeat the previous steps to select more entities.

Selecting subentities

By default the entire entity is selected. To select subentities of compound entities, such as polylines, 3D polylines, regions, 3D solids, etc..

The following subentities can be selected: polyline segments, vertices and segments of 3D polylines, vertices, edges and faces of regions, surfaces, meshes and 3D solids.

Do the following:

1. Place the cursor over the subentity.
2. When the entire entity highlights*, hold down the Ctrl key.
3. Click when the subentity highlights.
4. Repeat the previous steps to select more subentities.

*When a subentity is already selected, the entire entity does not highlight anymore.