Command entry:Modeling ribbon
Graphite Modeling Tools tab
Modify Selection panel
The Modify Selection panel provides tools for adding to and subtracting from sub-object selections, both in general and with
respect to loops and rings.
Interface
- Grow
-
Expands the selection area outward in all available directions.
For this function, a border is considered to be an edge selection.
- Shrink
-
Reduces the sub-object selection area by deselecting the outermost sub-objects. If the selection size can no longer be reduced,
the remaining sub-objects are deselected.
- Loop
-
Selects a loop or loops based on the current sub-object selection. Loop on the modeling ribbon differs from Loop on the Modify
panel in that the latter works only on edges, while the former works at all sub-object levels.
TipYou can select a loop quickly at any sub-object level except Element by selecting a sub-object and then Shift+clicking another sub-object in the same loop.
Usage:
- Vertex Select sets of neighboring vertices and apply to select loops. If you select a single vertex, Loop selects all vertices on
loops passing through the vertex.
- Edge Select one or more edges and apply to select loops.
- Polygon Select sets of neighboring polygons and apply to select loops. If you select a single polygon, Loop selects all polygon loops
that pass through the poly.
- Loop Cylinder Ends (on Loop drop-down)
-
Selects vertex and edge loops along the top and bottom edges of a cylinder.
Select an edge or a pair of adjacent vertices along the top and/or bottom edge of a cylinder, and then apply to select a loop.
- Add Loop Shift to Caddy Manipulator (on Loop drop-down)
-
- Grow Loop
-
Grows a loop based on current sub-object selection.
Select part of one or more loops (an edge, or two or more adjacent vertices or polygons), and then click Grow Loop to select
sub-objects at the end(s) of the loops.
- Shrink Loop
-
Reduces the extent of selected loops by removing sub-objects from the ends. Does not apply to circular loops.
Select one or more non-circular loops and then click Shrink Loop to deselect sub-objects at the end(s) of the loops.
- Loop Mode
-
When on, selecting sub-objects can also automatically select an associated loop.
TipWhen Loop Mode is not active, you can select a loop quickly at any sub-object level except Element by selecting a sub-object
and then Shift+clicking another sub-object in the same loop.
Usage:
- Vertex/Polygon Select two or more adjacent sub-objects to select the associated loop(s).
- Edge Select one or more edges to select the associated loop(s).
To deselect a loop with Loop Mode active, hold Alt while making a selection described preceding.
- Dot Loop
-
Selects loops with gaps. Select an edge or sets of two or more adjacent vertices or polygons in a row or column (to indicate
the loop direction) and apply.
To change the spacing, use the Dot Gap setting.
- Dot Loop Opposite (on Dot Loop drop-down)
-
Selects vertex/polygon loops with gaps. Select sets of two or more adjacent vertices or polygons in a row or column (to indicate
the loop direction) and apply.
Starts with a different sub-object from Dot Loop.
To change the spacing, use the Dot Gap setting.
- Dot Loop Cylinder (on Dot Loop drop-down)
-
Selects edges or vertices in a non-continuous loop around the top and bottom edges of a cylinder, with the selection pattern
determined by the Dot Gap setting available on the panel expansion.
To use with edges, first select an edge on the top or bottom edge of a cylinder. To use with vertices, first select two or
more adjacent vertices on the top or bottom edge of a cylinder.
- Ring
-
Selects a ring or rings based on the current sub-object selection.
Usage:
- Vertex Select sets of neighboring vertices and apply to select rings.
- Edge Select one or more edges and apply to select rings.
TipYou can select an edge ring quickly by selecting an edge and then Shift+clicking another edge in the same ring.
- Polygon Select sets of neighboring polygons and apply to select rings. If you select a single polygon, selects both the loop and
ring the poly belongs to.
- Add Ring Shift to Caddy Manipulator (on Ring drop-down)
-
- Grow Ring
-
Grows one or more edge rings in steps. Available only at the Edge and Border sub-object levels.
Select one or more edges and then apply to select any available rings at either end of the current ring(s).
- Shrink Ring
-
Reduces the extent of selected edge rings by removing edges from the ends. Does not apply to circular rings. Available only
at the Edge and Border sub-object levels.
Usage: Select one or more non-circular rings and then click Shrink Ring to deselect edges from the ends of the rings.
- Ring Mode
-
When on, selecting enough sub-objects to indicate the ring direction automatically selects the ring.
Sub-object level:
- Vertex/Polygon Select two or more adjacent sub-objects to select the ring(s) they’re on.
- Edge Select one or more edges to select the ring(s) they’re on.
To deselect a ring with Ring Mode active, hold Alt while selecting an edge in a selected ring.
- Dot Ring
-
Selects edge rings with gaps, based on the current selection.
To change the spacing, use the Dot Gap setting.
NoteWhen the modeling ribbon is maximized or the Modify Selection panel floats, the following controls appear on the Modify Selection
panel expansion.
- Outline
-
Selects the border (outside members) of the current sub-object selection and deselects the rest.
At the Polygon level, to select an edge border, use Shift (switches to Edge sub-object level).
- Similar
-
Adds to the current sub-object selection based on the characteristics of selected sub-objects and the settings on the drop-down
for this tool.
The availability of options and results depend on the sub-object level and the current selection. The options are:
- Selects vertices with the same number of edges going from them as the selected vertices, or polygons with the same number of sides as the selected polygons.
- Selects vertices with roughly the same combined length of connected edges as the selected vertices, or edges with roughly the same lengths as selected edges.
- Selects vertices with the same number of surrounding faces as the selected vertices.
- Selects vertices or edges with roughly the same combined areas of surrounding faces as the current selection.
- Selects edges whose endpoint vertices have the same number of neighboring edges and faces as the selected edges, or polygons whose vertices have the same edge count as the selected faces.
- Selects vertices, edges, or polygons with roughly the same normal directions as the current selection.
Also see: Select By Numeric.
- Fill
-
Selects all sub-objects between two selected sub-objects.
Usage: Select two objects to designate diagonally opposite corners of the area to be filled, and then click Fill. Available
only at the Vertex and Polygon/Element levels.
- Fill Hole
-
Selects all sub-objects within an enclosed area, as designated by an outline selection and a freestanding selection inside
the outline.
Outline an area with a selection, select a sub-object within the area, and click Fill Hole. The selected part must stand free
from the surrounding selection, so, for example, a selected polygon in the hole should not be adjacent to any selected polygons
around the hole.
- StepLoop
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Selects a loop between two selected sub-objects on the same loop.
Select two sub-objects on the same loop and apply StepLoop to select all sub-objects between them using the shortest distance.
- StepLoop Longest Distance (on StepLoop drop-down)
-
Selects a loop between two selected sub-objects on the same loop using the longest distance, if possible.
Select two sub-objects on the same loop and apply StepLoop to select all sub-objects between them using the longest distance,
if the complete loop is closed.
- Step Mode
-
Use Step Mode to select a loop in steps, increasing the loop length by selecting individual sub-objects.
Access the desired sub-object level and turn on Step Mode. Select a sub-object and then Ctrl+click to select another sub-object on the same loop. This also selects all sub-objects between the two in the shortest distance.
To select an edge or vertex loop at a cylinder end, use Shift+Ctrl+click to select the second and subsequent sub-objects.
If you select a sub-object not on the current loop, you start a new loop, and can then use Step Mode for that loop.
- Dot Gap
-
Specifies the extent of gaps between sub-objects in a loop selected with Dot Loop, or between edges in a ring selected with
Dot Ring.