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Forming selection sets

Sets are formed using the mouse in an appropriate Graphic view cursor mode.

The functionality of the mouse is as follows.

  • Clicking or dragging empties the set, unless the Append to selection when click is unmodified preference is set (in which case the previous selection is not emptied). Items identified by the click or drag are selected.
  • Ctrl+Clicking or Ctrl+Dragging deselects the identified items; otherwise the previous selection is not emptied.
  • Shft+Clicking or Shft+Dragging selects the identified items; the previous selection is not emptied.

Right-clicking on an entity displays a right-click menu that includes the option to select that entity. The previous selection is replaced unless the Append to selection when click is unmodified preference is set.

The following menu commands are also available.

  • Edit > Select all (Ctrl+A)
  • Edit > Select none (Esc) – This clears the selection for the current selection mode, but if there are no items selected for the current selection mode then it clears all other selections.
  • Edit > Invert selection
  • Edit > Select string – When in the Select elements cursor mode this selects a string of elements attached to and aligned with any currently selected elements. When in the Select nodes cursor mode nodes along the string of elements are selected. The straightness tolerance preference is used to determine whether an element is aligned, allowing this command to be used to select curved strings of elements and nodes.
  • Edit > Select highest coincident – When in the Select nodes or Select elements cursor modes this deselects all but the highest numbered coincident items in the current selection. E.g. If nodes 1 to 30 are selected and nodes 1 and 11 are coincident and nodes 2, 12 and 22 are coincident then giving this command will result in only nodes 11 and 22 being selected. This command is useful for deleting coincident nodes and elements (though note that nodes may not be deleted graphically when they are referred to by elements).
  • Edit > Select close to vertical 1D elements – When in the Select elements cursor mode this selects all 1D elements that are within 1º of vertical but are not sufficiently close to vertical to be deemed vertical for the local element axes definition.
  • Edit > Select out-of-range – Enabled only when contours are displayed, this command selects all entities for which the contoured data is out of the range of the current contour settings. E.g. If nodal Uz displacements are being contoured and the lowest contour value is set to −10mm and the highest to 0mm then Select out-of-range will select all nodes for which the Uz displacement is less than −10mm or greater than 0mm.

Entity selection can be by selection within a polyline. The procedure is as follows:

  • In the Polyline cursor mode, form a polyline.
  • Switch to the required selection cursor mode (Select nodes or Select Elements, etc.) cursor mode. All entities within the polyline (as viewed) are appended to the current selection set for that entity type.
  • When the reference point of selection items is set to Drag to right – all; drag to left – any part, a polyline specified in the clockwise direction (as viewed) selects all entities wholly within the polyline; whereas an anti-clockwise polyline selects entities within or partly within the polyline.

Note: The scope for interaction with lists and the clipboard.