Cannot select 3D lines

[hencoop]

I have several 3D lines that represent culvert pipes that are draw between the invert elevations of each culvert.  I've been using such lines for decades now and have never had any problem selecting them.  I have a routine that will locate the station at which any line crosses my pipeline alignment.  If it is on a pipe layer the invert, material, and size of the pipe is recorded, drawn and labeled on my profile, otherwise an appropriate crossing label is created.  A series of graphic selection windows is used so the lines must be graphically selectable for the function to work.  (I won't use Civil 3D objects for my pressure pipelines because they simply don't serve the purpose so this is best for me for crossing culverts.)  Today all of these 3D lines became unselectable.  There are hundreds of other 2D lines that are all selectable but none of the 3D lines could be selected.  These 3D lines are on several different layers each designating the material and size of the respective culvert.

I tried restarting AutoCAD - no change

I can select them by using the "previous" option after creating a selection set using (SSGET "X" '((8 . "CI????4ES##P"))) which is the wildcard pattern for all of the layers involved, sooo...

I tried wblocking them out. - no change

I tried copying them to the clipboard with a base point and pasting them into a new drawing - no change

I tried inserting the wblocked file into a new drawing - no change

I tried inserting the wblocked file into a new drawing with the explode option selected - It worked! I could select them.

I tried reinserting this new drawing into the original drawing with the explode option selected - fail - I could no longer select them.

Finally, I inserted my original drawing (explode option selected) into the new drawing in which I can select the 3D lines - That worked! I can select the 3D lines again.

Does anyone know what caused the 3D lines to become unselectable in the first place?

[troma]

No idea, sorry.
Did you try running a RECOVER on the original drawing?

[AlmasSuljevic]

Hello,

Have you tried MAPCLEAN command, select all objects then select desirable cleanup action and finally set “Delete original objects and create new objects” Will that help?

Also, see if you can isolate those layers where these 3D lines are and see if you can use Layer Delete (LAYDEL command) to remove that layer (given that objects are on its own layer).

Are any of these 3D lines on locked layer? Can you go to Layer manager and turn off and on all layers, freeze/thaw all and lock/unlock all. Did that make any difference?

It would be helpful if you could post your drawing. I think you may get more traction too.

I hope this helps.

[hencoop]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.  Sorry for the delay in responding.

The simple things are usually the last things I think of.  I did not try to recover the file but that should have been in my list of actions.

I had already gotten around the problem when I made the OP.  I posted hoping someone might have had the problem before and could provide some insight as to the cause.

I ran RECOVER on a backup of the problem file and there were no errors detected.  The lines that cannot be selected are on twelve separate layers. They are all 3D lines with a BYLAYER linetype which is set to HIDDEN2.  All of the layers have a name matching CI0[0CRT][CcSP][DPp]4ES##P. The wildcard specification [0CRT][CcSP][DPp] is for 0SD, CPP, RCP, or Tcp.  None of the layers are locked, frozen or off.

I wblocked the lines out to a new drawing isolating them for easier inspection.  The selection was made using (ssget "X" '((8 . "CI0[0CRT][CcSP][DPp]4ES##P"))) and then "previous" during the WBLOCK command.  I ran RECOVER on the wblocked drawing... no errors found.  The 2013 drawing is attached.

[AlmasSuljevic]

I managed to remove these phantom objects by using QSELECT command. See if you can do the same. 

1. In command line type QSELECT

2. In the dialog set as follows:

         Set Apply to: Entire drawing

         Object type: Multiple

         Operator: Select All

3. Click OK. It will show 54 items selected.

4. Then just type E for erase in the command line and that will remove them.

I hope it helps. 

[Jeff_M · Accepted solution]

@hencoop, I found a post over on the AUGI forums fro Jeff Paulsen that solved this:

This problem can occur if the TARGET system variable is set to something other than 0,0,0 (the default value). The TARGET system variable changes when you use the DVIEW command. This can also prevent you from selecting certain objects in the drawing; even though, the objects are visible on the screen.

Solution:
You must manually reset the Target and Camera values in the drawing to return the drawing to its default viewing mode.

To set the TARGET system variable back to 0,0,0:
Enter dview on the command line.
When prompted to select objects, enter all and press ENTER to complete the object selection.
Enter POints on the command line.
Enter 0,0,0 when prompted for the Target.
Enter 0,0,1 when prompted for the Camera.
Press ENTER again to complete the DVIEW command.
Use Zoom Extents to see the entire drawing again.
Print or preview the drawing to verify the results.

Here's the link: http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?85640-Unselectable-Objects

[hencoop]

That is not unlike (SSGET "X" '((0 . "*"))) which is likely what the QSELECT command passes to AutoCAD to make the selection.  I have already selected the lines by targeting the layers they are on, i.e., with (SSGET "X" '((8 . "CI0[0CRT][CcSP][DPp]4ES##P"))).

My objective is not to remove the lines from the drawing.  It is to select the lines using (SSGET "CP" ptlist ...) for use by a lisp routine that finds the stations and inverts at which these lines cross my pipeline alignment.  The routine has been working flawlessly for me since about 1993.  This problem causes these lines to not be selected and; therefore, the stations and inverts at which they cross my pipeline alignment will not be found.

Notice that the points in 'ptlist below describe a box that all of the lines are entirely within.

(SETQ ptlist '((2056185.4378 205643.1787)(2056185.4378 210632.3594)(2052047.8126 210632.3594)(2052047.8126 205643.1787)))

The ssget function using the crossing polyline selection method and this list of crossing window points will not select them
(SSGET "CP" ptlist '((8 . "CI0[0CRT][CcSP][DPp]4ES##P")))

Or the same in long-hand:

(SSGET "CP" (LIST (LIST 2056185.4378 205643.1787)(LIST 2056185.4378 210632.3594)(LIST 2052047.8126 210632.3594)(LIST 2052047.8126 205643.1787)) (LIST (CONS 8 "CI0[0CRT][CcSP][DPp]4ES##P")))

However, the ssget function searching the entire database and using the same layer filter will select them all

(SSGET "X" '((8 . "CI0[0CRT][CcSP][DPp]4ES##P")))

As I said in my OP, I have managed to fix the problem so that the lines are selectable again.  It invloved creating a new drawing of the lines via WBLOCK Previous after using (SSGET "X" '((8 . "CI0[0CRT][CcSP][DPp]4ES##P"))) to select them and then exploding that drawing upon insertion into another new clean drawing.  I don't know why that worked and I would like to know what causes SSGET to not select lines that it clearly should have selected using the "CP" option.

[hencoop]

Thanks Jeff & Jeff!

That was exactly the problem!

[hencoop]

I've tried to recreate the problem by setting VIEWTWIST which I think must have caused the problem in the first place.  That did not cause the problem again even though TARGET = 2054130.3878,208139.9071,52.2935 and CAMERA POINT = 2054130.3878, 208139.9071, 53.2935

In the drawing when the problem existed:

target point = 2054116.6252, 208137.7691, 52.2935
camera point = 2054116.6252, 208137.7691, 53.2935

It seems the problem is random.  The Jeff solution did solve it so I have incorporated it into my function in order to fix the problem proactively:

      (IF (EQ (GETVAR "TARGET") '(0.0 0.0 0.0)); If TARGET is not '(0.0 0.0 0.0) reset it
        NIL
        (COMMAND ".DVIEW" "ALL" "" "POints" "0,0,0" "0,0,1" "")
      )

The function is always run in model space and these values do not matter to it or the drawings it is used in.

[Jeff_M]

I'm not sure what causes the issue inside the DView command, but I have seen the problem a few times myself. I use DView quite often, however, and it is a rare occurrence for it to get whacked to where I cannot select objects.

[hallvard_skrede]

Thanks AlmasSuljevic,

That worked for me! I was gettting frustrated, but "qselect" worked! 🙂 

Regards Hallvard