Object Selection and Handling

Objects can only be manipulated in the editor once they are selected. Objects can either be selected individually or collectively.

When multiple objects are to be selected, the keyboard SHIFT key is used to create a multiple selection. Additionally, objects can be removed from a selection using the SHIFT key.

When objects are selected, their color temporarily changes to red to indicate objects which are ready for manipulation or modification.

Select & select deep Tool

The Select and Deep Select tool is found at the top left of the toolbar when using the 2D or 3D Toolbar.

These tools allow the selection of single or multiple objects in the editor.

The Select tool, shown far left is used to select single objects by left clicking onto the objects. To select multiple objects, hold down the SHIFT keyboard key and select the required objects. The SHIFT key is also used to add or remove objects from the current selection.

The Select tool is also used to create a pick window around an object or group of objects to be selected.

The Select Deep tool is used to select more complex objects such as nodes along a curve or facets, edges and vertices of a solid, surface or mesh object.

The Select AllRight click in the editor > Select All > All Objects | Curves | Surfaces | Solids | Text & Dimensions tool can be found by right clicking in the editor.

Selected objects are highlighted in red when they are selected. The color of selected objects can be changed using the Preferences menu in the title bar and select the ‘Select’ category.

Objects can be deselected by right clicking in the editor and selecting Deselect All.

Ambiguity Popup

The Ambiguity popup present choices of all objects within the pick region, allowing the user to select the correct part, face or object. The display of this popup is controlled using Preferences | Select | Enable Ambiguity Popup.

In the example below, the Ambiguity popup is presenting a choice of two parts.

Ambiguity popup displays part selection options

Pick Window Selection

A selection rectangle is placed around a group of objects to be selected. The direction of the rectangle impacts on how objects are selected. When using a left-to-right direction to create the selection window, only objects which are fully contained within the window are selected, shown below left.

In this example, only the hidden lines were fully contained within the window and will be the only lines selected, shown below right.

Pick window direction moves from left-to-right. Only objects within the window selected, shown in red above right.

When moving the pick window in a right-to-left direction, shown below left, objects contained within the window and intersected by the window rectangle will be selected, shown below.

Pick window direction moves from right-to-left.

All objects within the window contained within and intersected by the pick window selected, shown in red above right.

Lasso Select

Right click | Lasso Select

This selection option uses a flexible, freehand band by holding the left mouse button down and dragging a shape around the objects to be selected. This selection is a non-uniform

The direction of the lasso will determine whether the objects are included or excluded from the selection.

The Lasso Select tool requires 2 or more segments to create a selection band.

• When the lasso direction moves in a clockwise direction, only objects fully contained within the final selection will be included. See illustration below.

Lasso selection direction clockwise, only objects fully contained in selection band are selected.

Hidden lines only selected, above right.

• When the lasso direction moves in an anti-clockwise direction, objects contained within or intersected by the selection band will be include in the final selection. See below right.

Lasso selection direction anti-clockwise, objects fully contained and intersected by band selected.

All objects selected above right.

The Lasso Select tool does not require the selection band to be closed. In the example below, the Lasso band is moved in an anti-clockwise direction. Both horizontal lines and the hidden line will be included in the selection, shown below right.

Lasso selection direction anti-clockwise, objects intersected by band are selected.

All objects selected shown above right.

Lasso Polygon Select

Right click > Lasso Select

This tool provides a similar facility to the Lasso tool described above, using instead a flexible band to create a uniquely shaped open or closed polygon around objects to be selected.

The clockwise and anti-clockwise rules described in the Lasso tool also apply to the Lasso Polygon tool.

Select by Object Type

Specific types of objects, such as curves, solids or text and dimensions can be exclusively selected by right clicking in the editor and using the Select All > tool. In the example below, this tool was used to select all Solids. The remaining sketch curves are not selected.

3D Object only select using right click > Select All > Solids

[This tool is discussed and demonstrated in more detail here](2D Session 05_02.htm#Using).

Gripper Properties

Modify | Gripper

The gripper provides a multi-purpose conceptual selector for both curves and solids. When the gripper is enabled using Modify > Gripper, a 3-dimensional axis is applied to the selected object, allowing multiple manipulation functions such as move, scale, rotate and stretch.

In the illustration below, the gripper is attached to a solid. The gripper axes always align to the current view, allowing in-place modification functions.

The Gripper can be enabled or disabled by using the right click context menuobtained by right clicking into the editor and checking the Gripper On/Gripper Off option.

Gripper enabled and attached to solid

Gripper at Selected

Modify | Gripper

The gripper provides a mutli-purpose conceptual selector for both curves and solids. When the gripper is enabled using Modify > Gripper, a 3-dimensional axis is applied to the selected object, allowing multiple manipulation functions such as move, scale, rotate and stretch.

The option to set the Gripper at Selected can be activated in the Inspector > Gripper Properties . In the example below, the Gripper property has be set to attach to the Center of Selected.

The Gripper can be enabled or disabled by using the right click context menuobtained by right clicking into the editor and checking the Gripper On/Gripper Off option.

Gripper attached to the Center of Selected

By activating the At Selected option, shown below, the Gripper attachment point will be at the point of the cursor. In the example below, the selection point is shown as the midpoint of the edge.

Attaching the Gripper to the midpoint of the edge using Attach at Selected option

Move along Axis

When an object is selected with the Gripper enabledModify > Gripper the object can be moved along an axis by selecting a handle similar to that shown below.

Moving the solid along the Y axis

In the example below, the solid will be moved along the X axis. An exact distance can be input into the Distance field at the top of the editor.

Moving the selected objects using the Gripper. Distance is input into the edit field.

Uniform Scaling

When Uniform Scaling is activated in the Inspector, the selected object will be scaled by distributing the scale factor equally around all axes.

Rotate

Each axis can be used to dynamically rotate the solid. In the example below, the solid is being rotated around the Y axis by selecting the axis arc, shown below.

The angle of rotation can also be input into the edit field at the top of the editor.

Rotating the solid about the Y axis

Please Note

The Gripper axis orientation and color correspond to the Axis, displayed using View > Axis, shown below.

Gripper handle properties correspond to the drawing axis

Moving Objects

Modify | Transform | Translate

Selected objects can be relocated in the editor by selecting them, then using the pointing device to select first a source point, usually within the selection, then a destination point, shown below.

Selecting & Moving objects within the editor

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See Also

[Translate](3D Session 03_02.htm#Translat)

[Moving by Distance](3D Session 03_07.htm#Transfor)

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Copying Objects

Objects are copied using an identical method to that used when moving objects, described above, with the addition of holding down the keyboard ALT key to create a duplicate, shown below.

Copying objects using the Alt key

Translate

Modify | Transform | Translate

Both the Move and Copy functions described above can be done using the Translate tools with the additional condition of providing a distance by which the selected objects should be moved or copied.

Rotate

Modify | Transform | Rotate

This tool rotates curves or solids about a specified axis and by a specific degree of rotation. In the example below, the specific point of rotation is shown by the arrow. The angle of rotation is 45°.

Angle rotated about point shown by the arrow. Rotation angle is 45°

In the example below, the solid has been rotated 90 degrees about the X axis.

Solid rotated by 90° about the x-axis, shown by the arrow. Axis is displayed using View > Show Axis.

[This tool is discussed and demonstrated in more detail here](3D Session 08_01.htm#Rotate).

Scale

Modify | Transform | Scale

This modification tool increases or decreases the size of the selected objects by specifying the scale and an anchor point. A uniform scale is when the scale equally distributes between the x-y-z axes. If necessary, a differential scale can be obtained by inputting different x-y-z values.

In the illustration below, the solid on the right has been scaled up uniformly by 1.5

Right solid scaled up by 1.5. Anchor point of scale shown by arrow.

[This tool is discussed and demonstrated in more detail here](3D Session 08_05.htm#Copying,).

Mirror 2 Points

Modify | Transform | Mirror

This duplication tool creates a mirrored image of selected objects across a line of symmetry, retaining or discarding the original.

The keyboard ALT key is used to retain the original and create a duplicate.

In the example below, the right objects were mirrored across the axis shown by the arrow. The ALT keyboard key was used to retain the original.

Mirroring the left object to the right. Keyboard ALT key is used to retain original. Axis of symmetry shown by arrow.

In the example below, the solid has been mirrored about its own axis, shown by the arrow. The keyboard ALT key was used to retain the original and create a duplicate.

Left solid mirrored about axis shown by arrow. Original retained by holding the keyboard ALT key.

[This tool is discussed and demonstrated in more detail here](3D Session 08_01.htm#Mirror).

polar Duplicate

Modify | Transform | Polar Duplicate

This duplication tool creates copies of an object or objects in a circular pattern around a common center point.

In the example below, a set of 7 circles were created by arraying the circle shown by the arrow. The center point is the common center shown by the x and the angle of rotation is 360°

7 equi-spaced circles created from circle shown by arrow. Angle of rotation 360°

[This tool is discussed and demonstrated in more detail here](2D Session 03_05.htm#Polar).

A solid object such as an extrusion shown in the example below can be duplicated using the Polar Duplicate. The slot will be duplicated in a polar array to produce 4 equi-spaced slots. The center of the array is shown.

Slot selected to create Polar Duplicates

The total angle of rotation is given as 360° to produce the result shown below.

4 Slots created using a single extrusion. Total angle of rotation is 360°.

[This tool is discussed and demonstrated in more detail here](3D Session 06_02.htm#Polar).

Linear ARRAY

Modify | Transform | Linear Duplicate

This duplication tool allows objects to be copied in a rectangular manner by specifying the distances between the objects on the horizontal and vertical axes.

The distance between the objects is referred to as the cell distance.

Objects which are duplicated along the horizontal axis are referred to as columns ; objects which are duplicated along the vertical axis are referred to as rows.

In the example below, the bottom row of fixings has been arrayed using a row distance of 140.

Linear Duplicate using Rows only. Row distance from bottom fixings to top = 140

[This tool is discussed and demonstrated in more detail here](3D Session 08_05.htm#Linear).