Making a selection

In order to make a selection, the program must be in the selection-enabled mode. This mode is the default mode of the program and only a limited number of functions changes this mode into a selection-disabled mode. The selection-enabled mode is identified by the mouse cursor that looks like a diagonally oriented arrow with a small square attached to the tip of the arrow. Once this cursor is on the screen, it is possible to make selections freely.

There are two basic ways to make a new selection: using the mouse or typing a command on the command line. In both ways it is a piece of cake.

In addition, a selection can also be made via filters. That means, that the user specifies a condition that should be fulfilled by all selected entities. For example, the user may specify the condition that the cross-section must be a rolled IPE 300. The filter-controlled selection then looks for and selects all 1D members with such a cross-section.

Making a selection by the mouse cursor

When using the mouse cursor, there are several selection modes:

single selection

One entity is selected each time the user clicks the mouse button.

intersection line

The user draws a line (or a polygon) on the screen. The program selects all entities that have an intersection with the drawn line.

rectangular cutout

The user draws a rectangle on the screen. The program selects all entities located inside the rectangle or overlapping it (see the paragraph below for details about this selection mode).

polygonal cutout

The user draws a closed polygon on the screen. The program selects all entities located inside the polygon.

workplane

The program selects all entities located in the current workplane.

select-all

All currently displayed entities are selected

previous

Activates the last made selection.

How to activate the required selection mode

selection mode

 

via main menu > Tools > Selections

Single selection

call function Select by mouse

Intersection line

call function Select by intersection

Rectangular cutout

call function Select by cutout

Polygonal cutout

call function Select by polygon

Workplane

call function Select by work plane

Select all

call function Select all
Deselect all call function Deselect all

Previous

call function Previous selection

Toggle single selection mode

see paragraph Selection of entities with overlapping edges

Toggle deselection mode

see topic Removing the entities from selection

Toggle visibility selection mode

see paragraph Visibility selection mode

Single selection

In order to make a selection, the user has to:

  1. place the mouse cursor on the entity he/she wants to select,

  2. click the left mouse button.

That is all that is necessary to make a selection by mouse. To add another entity, the user just puts the cursor on another entity and clicks the left mouse button.

Intersection line

When this mode is invoked, all entities that are intersected by a defined line are added into the selection. The line may be either a single straight line or a polygon consisting of straight lines.

The procedure to define a polygon

  1. Position the mouse cursor to the place where the polygon should start.

  2. Click the left mouse button.

  3. Position the mouse cursor where the end point of the polygon line segment should be located.

  4. Click the left mouse button.

  5. Repeat the previous two steps as many times as required.

  6. Close the polygon, ie. either

    1. press [ESC] key, or

    2. define the last point with the right mouse button.

Cutout

This mode enables the user to select all entities located inside a mouse defined cut-out. There are two different kinds of the cut-out. The first one serves for selection of entities located fully inside it. The other one can be used to select entities that are both fully inside and overlap the cut-out.

The procedure to define a cutout that selects inside-located entities only

  1. Place the mouse cursor to the TOP LEFT corner of the rectangular cut-out.

  2. Press the left mouse button and hold it down.

  3. Drag the mouse to the BOTTOM RIGHT corner of the rectangular cut-out.

  4. Release the button.

The procedure to define a cutout selecting both inside-located and overlapping entities

  1. Place the mouse cursor to the TOP RIGHT corner of the rectangular cut-out.

  2. Press the left mouse button and hold it down.

  3. Drag the mouse to the BOTTOM LEFT corner of the rectangular cut-out.

  4. Release the button.

Polygon

This mode is similar to the previous one. The difference is that the user draws an arbitrarily shaped closed polygon instead of a simple rectangle.

The procedure to define a polygonal cut-out

  1. Position the mouse cursor to the place where the polygon should start.

  2. Click the left mouse button.

  3. Position the mouse cursor where the next vertex of the polygon should be located.

  4. Click the left mouse button.

  5. Repeat the previous two steps as many times as required.

  6. Close the polygon:

    1. either press [ESC] key, or

    2. define the last point with the right mouse button.

Work plane

In this mode, the program automatically selects all entities located in the current workplane.

Select all

All displayed entities are automatically selected.

Selection of entities with overlapping edges

In a real-life model it is frequent situation that several entities (e.g. beams, walls) meet in one place (joint, corner). In that case it may be difficult to select the proper entity, because when you place the mouse cursor over the intersection of these entities, the program does not know, which one to select. To solve such situations, the program offers a special toggle: Single selection. This switch enables you to work in two modes:

First found

In this mode, the first entity found by the selection algorithm is selected (usually, it is the entity that was input first).

All found

In this mode, the program finds all entities under cursor and offers you a list of them so that you may decide yourself which one(s) should be selected.

Imagine a simple model of three walls.

image\SelectionOverlappingEdges1.gif

If you place the cursor over the corner in which the three walls meet and click the left mouse button, the program opens a small dialogue with a list of found entities.

You may roll the mouse cursor over the list. The entity over which the cursor is just placed is highlighted in the graphical screen, so it is easy to find out which entity is which.

image\SelectionOverlappingEdges2.gif

If you want to select a particular entity, just click on its name in the list. You may select as many entities as you want.

image\SelectionOverlappingEdges3.gif

When you press the blue-mark button, the selection is confirmed.

image\SelectionOverlappingEdges4.gif

 

Visibility selection mode

In the "normal" selection mode, you must select an edge of an entity in order to select it.

However, if the Visibility selection mode is activated, you may just put the mouse cursor anywhere on the displayed member and it can be selected. The only precondition is that Rendering display style is active.

The Single selection mode toggle is taken into account in the Visibility selection mode.

Examples (the little cross in the blue circle indicates the position of the mouse cursor):

A) Single selection mode toggle set to FIRST FOUND

B) Single selection mode toggle set to ALL FOUND

Please note that the cursor changes its shape when the program is in the visibility selection mode.

Filter-controlled selection

The filter-controlled selection is useful if the user wants to select all entities that meet a specific condition. This type of selection is described in the following chapter.

Making a selection from the command line

A selection can be also made (sometimes very effectively) from the program’s command line.

The procedure is similarly simple as the "mouse procedure". The user types a command on the command line and the selection is made.

Command syntax

SEL [switch] parameter [parameter2] [parameter3] [etc.]

Switch

switch

meaning

+

adds into selection

-

subtracts from the current selection

Parameter

parameter

example

description

entity name

SEL BEAM23

selects entity named BEAM23

entity name with a wildcard

SEL B*

selects all entities whose name starts with letter B

none

SEL NONE

clears the selection

Examples

sel none

clears the selection

sel *

selects all entities

sel N1

selects entity N1

sel N1 B1

selects entities N1 and B1

sel + N*

adds into the current selection entities whose name starts with N

sel – B*

removes from the current selection entities whose name starts with B

Making a selection of a mesh node from the command line

To select a mesh node by its number, command SELMN can be used.

Procedure to select required mesh nodes

1. Type command SELMN in the SCIA Engineer command line and press Enter.

2. The selection function starts.

3. Type the number of the node to be selected and press Enter. The node is marked with an arrow.

4 . If required, repeat step 3.

5. Press Esc to end the command.

IMPORTANT: In order to see the arrow denoting the selected node(s) it is necessary to switch ON the appropriate flag in the View parameters settings Dialogue - Misc. > Calculation info > Display arrow on mesh elements.

Procedure to remove the highlighting arrow from selected mesh nodes

1. Select the arrow or the accompanying text with the mouse cursor.

2. Press key Delete on your keyboard OR use the Delete function from the pop-up menu OR use the Delete function from the Modify menu.