I can manipulate subobjects in mesh but I can't delete them

[morganism3]

Hello all,

I have this complex part that was given to me as a mesh. It's got a bunch of extra "pieces" that stick out and we need to get rid of them. I can select the extra junk by holding down control, and I can move it and stuff, but I can't delete it, and it doesn't even lists why it can't delete it, it's just as if the command turned itself off. I tried right-clicking and changes subobject selection settings, but it didn't change anything.

In the attached file, I have some of the pieces that I want deleted moved 100 units away from the mesh. Can someone please tell them why it won't let me delete them. On that note, too, anyone that can offer suggestions for if there's a way to simplify this mesh without re-creating it. Thanks in advance.

[john.vellek]

Hi @morganism3,

This is sort of strange isn't it?

This is how I was able to delete some of those objects (I will let you try the rest).

I selected the mesh and then in Properties, I set the Smoothness to 1 from the existing value of none.  Then I was able to use CTRL-selection to erase those objects.

Give this a try and let me know if it works as desired.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[beyoungjr]

Hi,

I was able to set smoothness level and delete as sub-objects as well but did you notice the horrible model after adjusting smoothness?

Not sure what's bugging this yet??

Blaine

[john.vellek]

HI @beyoungjr,

Yes, this is quite a mess. I am still playing with it but it is going slowly. I am wondering if this would not be better suited to Fusion or Inventor. But...I am still trying to get this cleaner

[beyoungjr]

I had to dash out to HS football game while my PC was grinding away trying to explode the mesh object.

I got home and voila, explode worked!

The mesh exploded into individual 3D faces and looks just as it did before explode.  The other objects at a distance can now be deleted without sub-object selection.

Now to union it or convert to solid!  Jeopardy theme playing while trying to select thousands of 3D faces.

Blaine

[john.vellek]

HI @beyoungjr,

That's much farther along than I got wit this model.  If you want to share the exploded drawing I am happy to work on it more.

[beyoungjr]

I think there are 160158 3D faces after the explode and after I deleted the objects on the extremities.  I also found 6 points somewhere in the middle of the model that I moved out and deleted.  The green line remains just because it can;)

I tried convert to surface and convert to solid, as well as union and join, just to see what might hhappen.  None of these worked but sure tasked my laptop.

The filesize grew to 13Mb after the explode.

Blaine

[john.vellek]

Hi @beyoungjr,

I am still working (struggling) on this model.  From your exploded version, I have been able to convert all the 3Dfaces to surfaces.  I am now in the process of assigning a thickness to them in order to convert them to 3D solids. Hopefully after that I will be able to union everything.

[beyoungjr]

I'd like the OP to chime in at some point.  Maybe we could get more info on the source of his file and try to work with something from prior to his attempts?

[john.vellek]

Hi @beyoungjr,

I agree that more information and perhaps an earlier version would be helpful. I am going to kill my latest attempt as I can't get any work done. This has been running for about 4 hours and appears to be working but it takes enormous resources.