topic Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly) in Inventor Forum

Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

ToddPig — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 15:32:00 GMT

In a Solidworks assembly, when you make part transparent, you can select through the transparent part, and move (drag) parts that are not fully constrained. Does Inventor have the ability to do this?

Thanks in advance,

Todd

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

CCarreiras — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 15:52:39 GMT

Hi!

In inventor, it works slightly different.
You must to uncheck "Enable" and the part's icon will turn to green.

After that, those "Green icon's parts" are unable to select and you can select parts bewind them.

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

Cadmanto — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 16:24:00 GMT

Todd,

Another method is you can select the part, RC and select "Select Other" then pick from the dropdown list the part you need/want.

If this solved your issue please mark this posting "Accept as Solution".

Or if you like something that was said and it was helpful, Kudos are appreciated. Thanks!!!!

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

ToddPig — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 16:44:52 GMT

When I try the "Select Other", the part highlight, but I'm not able to move/drag it. I use "Select Other" when mating or measuring. But in this case, I was unsuccessful.
thanks, and keep the ideas coming.

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

mcgyvr — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 17:26:49 GMT

@ToddPig wrote:

thanks, and keep the ideas coming.

There are no more ideas..

Select other and enable/disable are how its done..

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

ToddPig — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 17:57:43 GMT

If you right click a part to enable it, what is the method to right click and undo the enable. I might be missing something here. You use the terms "enable" and "disable". Where is the "disable" feature?

Kind of sad how many tasks either take longer in Inventor, or can't be done. The more I use Inventor, the longer the list grows.

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

Cadmanto — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 18:54:37 GMT

All you have to do is uncheck the enabled selection and that is the disable function mentioned.

Or, just hit the "Undo".

I get where you are at. I was 12 years in Solidworks (CSWP) and now 5+ years with Inventor. Trust me, as the time passes and you use Inventor more, Solidworks will be nothing more then a distant memory and you will see the advantages of Inventor/Autodesk.

If this solved your issue please mark this posting "Accept as Solution".

Or if you like something that was said and it was helpful, Kudos are appreciated. Thanks!!!!

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

Curtis_W — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 19:11:26 GMT

Hi everyone,

Hope I don't cause confusion, but I'm just looking for some clarification.

There is a new Transparent option in 2017. I don't have 2017 on this machine , so I can't test this at the moment, and I don't recall from earlier use of 2017, but am I understanding from this discussion that the new Transparent option in 2017 does not allow you to select through the transparent components?

Can someone confirm for me that the new Transparent option in 2017 does not allow you to select through the transparent components?

https://youtu.be/MTFWF2X-NHA?t=27s

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

mcgyvr — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 19:12:53 GMT

@Curtis_W wrote:

Can someone confirm for me that the new Transparent option in 2017 does not allow you to select through the transparent components?

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

@Curtis_W Curtis, with transparent you can still select the part and can "select other" to select parts behind it..

With enabled you can't select the part at all.. Thats the difference..

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

ToddPig — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 19:13:29 GMT

If your used to Solidworks, then "no" you can't "select through".
But, if you combine the use of "enable", and /or the "select other" feature, then then Inventor answer is "yes".

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

Curtis_W — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 19:25:58 GMT

@ToddPig wrote:
If your used to Solidworks, then "no" you can't "select through".
But, if you combine the use of "enable", and /or the "select other" feature, then then Inventor answer is "yes".

That's disappointing. This addition was a result of the user requests at this link:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-ideas/transparent-parts-in-assemblies/idi-p/4384272

I don't have time to read all of the comments to see if the idea simply wasn't clearly communicated or just wasn't implemented fully, but my thought was that the new transparent option was to allow the selection of components through the transparent component.

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

ToddPig — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 19:33:59 GMT

I guess this explains why I can't buy a "Mastering Autodesk Inventor 2017" book from you yet.

Do you have plans of writing this book?

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

Curtis_W — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 19:42:24 GMT

Hi ToddPig,

The publishing company decided not to put out the 2017 book, and as far know have no plans to put out any other Mastering Inventor books in the near future.

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

ToddPig — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 20:16:11 GMT

The issues is I still use both, and days where I start out in Solidworks and then switch to Inventor, I always feel like I "working in molasses". Everything is slower, takes more clicks (twice as many in some cases), requires a space-mouse, drawings require a lot more work to get them to "look" good (especially if GD&T is used). I know I still have lots of learning Inventor to catch up to Solidworks, but I feel like I will never be as efficient because the product is inferior.

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

mcgyvr — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 20:59:36 GMT

@Curtis_W wrote:

@ToddPig wrote:
If your used to Solidworks, then "no" you can't "select through".
But, if you combine the use of "enable", and /or the "select other" feature, then then Inventor answer is "yes".

That's disappointing. This addition was a result of the user requests at this link:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-ideas/transparent-parts-in-assemblies/idi-p/4384272

I don't have time to read all of the comments to see if the idea simply wasn't clearly communicated or just wasn't implemented fully, but my thought was that the new transparent option was to allow the selection of components through the transparent component.

@Curtis_W

Curtis... You CAN select parts through transparent parts.. You just need to use select other as the transparent part is allowed to be selected also and takes priority over stuff behind it..

If you only want to select parts behind then uncheck "enable"for that part in front.. Then you can freely select parts behind without the "non-enabled" part being selected..

Thats the difference..

"Disabled" makes it transparent.. It cannot be selected.. It can't be measured to..

"Transparent" makes it transparent.. It can be selected.. It can be measured to..

"Transparent" (as I read it and the comments) was intended to allow measuring/constraining,etc.. to features (now not being blocked by the opaque part) behind that transparent part while still allowing you to select/measure to,etc.. to that part..

Edit... my fault.. No you cannot select parts behind it.. I "assumed" that because "select other" was an option in the menu that it actually worked.. It doesn't now that I'm actually trying it.. wow.. oops..

But you can use "select other" to measure to parts/features behind transparent parts.. (but it was really goofy/inconsistent for me.. sometimes nothing would come up for "other" and then sometimes they would)... They do have some work to do there..

Edit 2.. Now I am able to use select other.. Its "goofy" sometimes and won't show an "other" list.. Yet other times it does.. Same with trying to measure..

I'll try to get a screencast.. Its surely "flaky"

Edit 3.. Seems the "flaky"is Inventor computing and adding to the list based on "depth" of part into the assembly.. It will slowly add parts that are "deeper" into the model as its going.. Same with measurement..

Edit 4... Ok.. Yeah it still needs work.. Sometimes there is clearly (pun intended) a part behind yet "select other" never comes up.. If I move my mouse a bit or orbit around some then it will come up..

@dan_szymanski Dan... In that ideastation comments you stated you can use a crossing window to select the "disabled" (enabled = unchecked) component in the browser window.. I'm not finding that to be the case in 2017 R3.. What happened there? regression/bug? Or am I doing something wrong or is there a setting I need to enable? Neither left-right nor right-left select the enabled part and allow me to "enable" it again.. I MUST find it in the model browser..

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

Curtis_W — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 21:19:09 GMT

Hi mcgyvr,

Yeah, I understand the use of Select Other and Enable, it's just that the Transparent option request came over and over from those that used Solidworks, and maybe I just assumed that it was understood that the request was not just to make components transparent, but to allow them to be selected through as well.

On one level it's nice to have the functionality of Enable and Transparent separated as they currently are. But when every new hire out of college comes in with Solidworks experience, it means that the difference between Inventor's Transparent and the one that Solidworks has had all of these years will be a constant FAQ

So the reality of that is that Inventor comes off looking like it's quirky in this case because its new functionality of the same name, does less than what is expected... or something like that.

In hindsight I think I would have liked to see Transparent components un-Enabled when they are made Transparent, and then we could Enable them if we wanted to measure, etc. This would make Transparent work as expected for those that used Soldworks ( and I think someone said Pro-E ) , and yet still provide the ability to select/measure the Transparent part when Enabled.

re: crossing window

This was recently "fixed", as it was technically a bug, it was just a useful bug.

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

mcgyvr — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 21:19:11 GMT

So I'm clear.. (never used solidworks)

In SWx you make a part transparent and cannot select it at all and immediately will select objects behind it without having to resort to a select other? (just like "un"enabled in Inventor)

Can you measure to features of it or no?

Personally if thats true I think Inventor does it better and correctly...

To me (and Autodesk I guess).. Transparent should JUST make a part transparent so it can be viewed through but should still be selectable/usable in the graphics window.. Its just a "shortcut" that has been created by that idea vs selecting the part and changing it to "polycarbonate" or whatever..

And "un"enabled or even invisible should be used when you don't care/need to do anything with that part in front of others..

BTW.. I found that if you uncheck "Enable Optimized Selection" just above the select other delay in application options that select other/measure works MUCH better through transparent parts.. With it checked I was getting very inconsistent results..

Another spot where Inventors "optimization" brain is not "optimal" at all..

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 21:20:49 GMT

Just very quickly looking into this, I inserted a part in a new 2017 assembly, inserted another part behind the first.

Made the first "transparent" and I was not able to simply select the part behind it as if the first part was not there.

I had to either RMB and select the part from the drop down, or I select the part in the browser tree. But even then I am not able to freely just drag it by the mouse. I have to select the "Free Move" command on the ribbon menu and then I can select and move the "hidden" part.

There are actually numerous other ways to do what you are attempting to do. One of the biggest issues I've seen over the years in teaching ex-Solidworks people is having to break the terminology barriers.

Transparent in SW is one of those things that has a totally different meaning in Inventor and vice versa.

But if you're looking to be able to select a part that is behind or hidden by other parts, you have a few different paths to go down.

Oh might be as easy and changing the Visual Style from "Shaded" to "Wireframe".

As mentioned you can use the Enable command 9you'll find a lot of commands like that are "toggles", it's either active (check mark) or inactive.

You can Suppress Constraints of the forward parts and thus move them out of the way to access the hidden parts.

You can select a part and change its visibility on or off.

You can use Isolate which allows you to toggle off the visibility of all the files except the ones you need.

You can use the Section View command as well.

You can even set a Design View that'll preserve these settings so you can recall it and not have to go thru all the steps again

You might be able to use the Selection filter in the quick access toolbar to select the parts that are behind others.

One thing you need to understand, typical Autodesk, if there's one way to do something, you can pretty much bet your bottom dollar, there's another 4 ways to do the same thing in some fashion.

I also worked/maintained SW for a number of years, thankfully the last time I had to deal with it was its 2010 release.

You couldn't pay me enough to go back to it and I know plenty of hardcore SW people that, once they learned beyond the basics of Inventor, they feel the same way. Let your curiosity take over and think along the lines of "OK, I know I can do this this way, how else can I possibly do it?".

One of the hardest things I have to do when teaching is refreshing my memory on how to do the basic commands again since the only time I ever use them is during a training class for the beginners.

Oh and if I may, invest in Curtis' book(s), very well worth it. They'll help you move onto the next realm for sure.

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

ToddPig — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 21:23:35 GMT

In Solidworks, if you make a part transparent, you select parts behind it. If you rotate your assembly in a manner that there is nothing behind the transparent part then you have the option to make to turn the transparency off. All of this is done via right-click. If a part is transparent, you can still it's edges (for measurements, and with a little practice you can select it's surfaces (for more than measurements)

Re: Selecting parts through a transparent part (in an assembly)

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 21:28:35 GMT

@mcgyvr wrote:

So I'm clear.. (never used solidworks)

In SWx you make a part transparent and cannot select it at all and immediately will select objects behind it without having to resort to a select other? (just like "un"enabled in Inventor)

Can you measure to features of it or no?

Personally if thats true I think Inventor does it better and correctly...

To me (and Autodesk I guess).. Transparent should JUST make a part transparent so it can be viewed through but should still be selectable/usable in the graphics window..

McG,

I feel the same way. We do a lot of glass panels and we select these glass panels as "transparent" prior to doing our drawings, thus allowing us to "see" the parts behind the glass panels as we would in real life as opposed to those parts showing as hidden lines in the views.