Select sides

[bhorstTGM48]

When you point a solid model and right click you get a menu, one of the options is "Select Sides". What is the secret to getting this to work? Sometimes it works, sometimes it kinda works?

[DanielMolloy]

Hi @bhorstTGM48,

In my personnel experience these features are usually pretty flaky. The system is assessing the model and picking what it thinks is right however the results do have a tendency to be not great, as you said, sometimes it works sometimes not so much.

I have seen similar features across a few cam systems and they were all broadly the same.  

[ChristopherMarion · Accepted solution]

Hi @bhorstTGM48 

I believe the secret is to select (1) face in say a pocket or similar, then RMB on that surface to access the menu.

By selecting "Side Surfaces", FeatureCAM chains the rest of the faces in the selection.  I am pretty sure this is just a selection filter.

For Example, selecting one face, then using the option found in the RMB menu.

Would result in.....

Alternatively, you can use the selection dropdown in the "Select and Edit" group in the Home tab. 

[bhorstTGM48]

OK, so now I am confident that I am doing it correctly. It is still hit and miss. I would say about 50% of the time it works as expected.

[ChristopherMarion]

@bhorstTGM48 

Can honestly say I don't use it very often, maybe just in a training class to show different selection tools.

I tried it on a SolidWorks file as well as a couple of Parasolid files.  All seemed to work well.

Just make sure it is a solid, since it will not work with surfaces.