The best selection methods

[zoomharis]

Hi all,
When you do draughting, what is the deciding factor in the pace of your work? IMHO, that's nothing other than the selection methods you use to access required objects.In the normal selection mode itself, you have so many options available like Window, Crossing,Previous,Last etc.I think, It has already been discussed in detail before.Further to that, I would like to know the best selection methods to improve the speed and accuracy. Eventhough there are FILTER, QUICKSELECT commands, I personally would like to use SSX command because it's very easy to use, especially if you are a 'keybordist'.When followed by certain commands, it's a powerful tool to change properties of objects very quickly.Just see a sample on changing the properties of similar text objects.

Command: SSX
Select object <None>:Pick Object
Current filter: ((0 . "TEXT") (7 . "STANDARD") (8 . "TEXT") (210 0.0 0.0 1.0))
Enter filter option :[b]<Enter>

Command: -CH
Select objects: P
Select objects: Specify change point or [Properties]: P
Enter property to change [Color/Elev/LAyer/LType/ltScale/LWeight/Thickness]: C
Enter new color <2 (yellow)>: BYL
Enter property to change [Color/Elev/LAyer/LType/ltScale/LWeight/Thickness]:<Enter>

Command: CHT
Change text, Version 2.00, Copyright © 1997 by Autodesk, Inc.
Select annotation objects to change.
Select objects: P
22 annotation objects found.
Height/Justification/Location/Rotation/Style/Text/Undo/Width: S
Individual/List/Select style/<New style name for all text objects>: <Enter>
New style name for all text objects: Romans
Height/Justification/Location/Rotation/Style/Text/Undo/Width: W
Individual/List/<New width factor for all text objects>: .8
Height/Justification/Location/Rotation/Style/Text/Undo/Width: H
Individual/List/<New height for all text objects>: 2.5
Height/Justification/Location/Rotation/Style/Text/Undo/Width:Enter

It takes only a few seconds to finish all from the command prompt (Provided you are a 'keyboardist').The filtering is also very powerful. Do you use any better methods? Please share with us.It would be great to know that.

:)
har!s

[shijushukoor]

is it possible to select objects having same properties but having diffrent sizes according to their size ( eg. to select a line having same size but sharing all the properties layer, colour from entire drawing)

[jaberwok]

is it possible to select objects having same properties but having diffrent sizes according to their size ( eg. to select a line having same size but sharing all the properties layer, colour from entire drawing)

Using Qselect, Length is a selectable property for a line so I guess the answer is yes.

[andy.manninen]

Another great selection tool is SELECTSIMILAR, i know it is available with ACAD 2005 LDT and land enabled MAP, but i don't think it is available with vanilla AutoCAD. The command is available through the right click menu and by typing in SELECTSIMILAR.

:Cheers:

[Avatart]

Another great selection tool is SELECTSIMILAR, i know it is available with ACAD 2005 LDT and land enabled MAP, but i don't think it is available with vanilla AutoCAD. The command is available through the right click menu and by typing in SELECTSIMILAR.

:Cheers:You get that with ADT and ABS too, I use it loads now. It's one of those things that you wonder how you ever did without.

[scott.wilcox]

Melanie Perry (http://forums.augi.com/member.php?userid=23000) has found and posted a vanilla workaround here (http://mistressofthedorkness.blogspot.com/2006/07/i-know-how-to-pick-em-selectsimilar.html) and here (http://mistressofthedorkness.blogspot.com/2006_07_01_mistressofthedorkness_archive.html).

Thanks, Wanderer.

[ekohles]

What is tha macro for select similar

[Opie]

What is tha macro for select similar
Are you referring to the one Scott Wilcox mentioned? The instructions are at the end of Melanie's blog post (http://mistressofthedorkness.blogspot.com/2006/07/i-know-how-to-pick-em-selectsimilar.html). That would be selsim.

[ekohles]

I need the one autocad 2007

[BrenBren]

I need the one autocad 2007


I would assume that what she has there will work in 2007. Give it a try.

[Richard.Kent]

I am a keyboard person, but I like the properties window for most of this type of change. There are a lot of choices in properties that aren't in SSX and I don't have to remember the names of layers, just pull down and pick, etc. When it comes to CAD, one size does not fit all.

[margaretl]

I generally use crossing box and window box. When I need to get more detailed with my selections, I like filter.

Map Query is pretty slick, too. It can be used to find just about anything with the added bonus of copying it out of the resident file to edit. The possibilities are endless.

[Opie]

I need the one autocad 2007
The routine Melanie has posted will work for 2007.

[ekohles]

I got it to work, even added it to my right click menu!
I'm so happy!

[Capt. Computer Crasher]

I need the one autocad 2007

in AutoCAD 2007/2008 and Civil3D 2007/2008. it is just a command. Hightlight and object right-click and pick Select Similiar all object that are on the same layer and have similar attributes are chosen. Example: pick a text object and select similar pick all text that is on the same layer. pick a block, it picks all blocks with same name, etc. It's very useful

It is part of AutoCAD, NO macro needed.

[jaberwok]

in AutoCAD 2007/2008 and Civil3D 2007/2008. it is just a command. Hightlight and object right-click and pick Select Similiar all object that are on the same layer and have similar attributes are chosen. Example: pick a text object and select similar pick all text that is on the same layer. pick a block, it picks all blocks with same name, etc. It's very useful

It is part of AutoCAD, NO macro needed.

Sorry Travis. Select Similar is not in vanilla acad, not even A2008. :-(

[Capt. Computer Crasher]

Sorry Travis. Select Similar is not in vanilla acad, not even A2008. :-(

Sorry, you are right.It is in Civil 3D 2007 & 2008. Being a selection tool I thought like most other selection tools it was base AutoCAD, but apparently it is only Civil 3D. That is a bit unusual.

[Avatart]

Sorry, you are right.It is in Civil 3D 2007 & 2008. Being a selection tool I thought like most other selection tools it was base AutoCAD, but apparently it is only Civil 3D. That is a bit unusual.
It's in ABS 2006, works a treat on all sorts of stuff, I love it!

[ron_09812001]

i prefer qselect and filter rather than ssx, because ssx selects even the objects in the layout space even when youre in the model space..

[mockdeep]

The Select Similar is incredibly useful in AutoCAD. I have it set to SS on my keyboard. It makes it so fast just to change properties of a number of objects at once. When I get a drawing from elsewhere I love to use it to quickly get things to our layer standards and to change out blocks with our own. You can also use it to select objects of more than one type or layer simultaneously, which is like using filter instead of qselect.

[pauljordan]

Select Similar is available in the right click menu of most Autocad based Vertical products but, not Autocad itself. Apparently the vertical folks haven't walked down the hall and talked to the Platform folks. Should be a wish list item at least.

When you have to teach these products on a regular basis, sometimes you have to just about dumb yourself down to teach one versus the other. Throw Revit Architecture into the mix and you have a disaster in the works.

[jmatosl]

I prefer the command Filter(Fi), this have many options for selection, i use that when i have many dimension styles and i want to select one.