Select faces by window

[CAD-One]

I have seen selection filter and apply selction of faces and edges.

I want to leverage this further. In a part, is it possible to simply drag a window and have inventor select all faces?

[mcgyvr]

For some stupid reason....in a part NO. in an assembly YES

[CAD-One]

That's stupid enough. I was working on a complex part lately and had to select around ~50 faces. It was painful.

[SteveMDennis]

Just to be clear, you want the ability to select faces/edges/etc. when no command is running via a window drag?

[CAD-One]

Say I want to use delete face command and choose several faces by dragging a window around em.

[SteveMDennis]

OK, unfortunately each command has it's own selection settings. Can you supply a list of the top 5 commands that you would like to see this capabilty added for?

[CAD-One]

1. Delete face
2. Move face
3. Offset surface
4. Stitch
This is just me . I would encourage others to add.

[Anonymous]

How about not limiting it to a top 5?  Just make it work everywhere.

[CAD-One]

I would love any little enhancement. See how this thread is transforming into a wish list 🙂

[SteveMDennis]

Making it work everywhere believe it or not is a large endeavor owing to the history of Inventor's evolution.

A stopgap measure is for us to quickly add it to the most used commands that give the highest return to you guys in productivity and efficiency while we look into addressing it writ large for all selections everywhere.

[SBix26]

I would be happy with the four proposed by CAD-One.

[Anonymous]

How about a move body option, say in the flat pattern tab...instead of just the move face....and or have the option of more than one flat pattern per part file....

[rajeshindi]

OFFSET FACE AND STITCH ARE TWO MAIN ONES FOR ME

[nstalker]

I'd just like to be able to window-select using any of the selection buttons.  Right now as I see it you can only use window-select with annotation features.

[CCarreiras]

Delete faces: selecting by drag window is awsome... imagine cleaning a plastic part with thousands of fillets.

BUT THERE'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT ISSUE...

When we select faces by dragging a window, the "front faces" become selected, very nice!!! BUT also the "back faces" become selected... and this is very bad... Others softwares manage this very simple... i miss a lot this capabilities in enventor.

e.g... imagine i want to offset (or delete, etc) the top faces from a plastic part, i start to position the part "look at me"... now i drag a select window to select the top faces... but... the back faces are also selected... dammm!!!

It is a good idea if the "selected drag window" only select the "VIEW FACES"!!! and not select the hidden faces in the back of the part... we simply don't need them for the operation... 90% of times we need this kind of "face selection".

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[SteveMDennis]

Window select is simply many, many regular pick selections done in a grid fashion. With single selection we utilize select other to deal with the "back" objects. With window selection we don't use select other, it gets ALL objects.

And I imagine sometimes that IS what you want/expect. (i.e. I want to window select all faces except these 3 and delete them)

But I also see your point.

Maybe we need an optional button (i.e. shift window select gets all, default only gets "visible" objects)

[nstalker]

Having the option to do either would be optimal.  I was hoping to do at least what I could do in ACAD which would be to orbit so there is nothing behind it and window select multiple and delete.  Also in ACAD I could use layers in conjunction with window selection.

[CCarreiras]

Hi Steven... i think you are seeing things only for one side...

ok, if i need to select all surfaces minus one or two(When this happend???!!, ok , ahead).... i turn the part in one side... drag a window, and next i turn the part to the opposite side and drag another  window... and thats it!!!

To do the opposite i don't have any option!!! ...unless... select one by one... imagine 100 faces! and if you have a error message because one of them... guess what... select all again, one by one!!! Its common in plastic parts, i have to spend half an hour t select faces, in others SWares... 2 seconds, drag a window in visible surfaces!!!

I like a lot inventor, but excuse me, the select system is wrong... I don't understand why inventor has tool for plastic parts, module for tooling... and when we need to work and change these parts, we have to pick one face at the time... sorry, but this is insane and stupid... Again, i like a lot inventor, the good thing, i dont work a lot with these kind of parts. If i have to work with these kind of parts, i will never use inventor. Trim surface: one at the time, delete surface: one at the time, select surface:one at the time, inspect gaps when stitching: need copy to construction (duplicate surfaces!!!??? Two enviroments to work with surfaces??!!), sorry but the system is wrong. Stop spend time with some things that nobody uses and improve these simple things.

[Ktelang]

How about window select workpoints in a part file

that will be a great help!!

Thanks

[DRoam]

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@SteveMDennis wrote:

Just to be clear, you want the ability to select faces/edges/etc. when no command is running via a window drag?

[...]

OK, unfortunately each command has it's own selection settings. Can you supply a list of the top 5 commands that you would like to see this capabilty added for?

[...]

Making it work everywhere believe it or not is a large endeavor owing to the history of Inventor's evolution.

---

Wouldn't the best option in the meantime be to enable selecting faces/edges/bodies/etc. when no command is running? Because then couldn't we use window-select for ANY command by using noun/verb selection?

But then, in regards to tackling the verb/noun selection for all commands..... @SteveMDennis, as you know, we want consistency  Wait until it's realistic to prioritize this issue and address it as a whole. Then make a list of every Part-environment command that allows multiple non-contiguous selections, and knock them all out. And then that can actually be a headline for that release: "Window selection enabled for all Part commands!" (rather than trickling it out bit by bit and just making people mad that it works in some places and not in others).

And I wonder if while you're at it, you could modify the selection "architecture" for Part commands such that, in the future, it's easier make blanket changes to all commands like this when good ideas come along? Basically, clean up all that nasty, bloated, dysfunctional "history of Inventor's evolution" that forces you to change every.... command... one.... by one.... and do it right, unlike those before you   Is that realistic? Or no?