With the program in Select mode, objects can be selected graphically in the active display window using the mouse cursor. Selected objects are indicated by dashed lines. A window is active when the blue title bar at the top of the window is highlighted.
Note: Only objects that are present in the active display window can be selected. For example, if the display of Frame/Cable/Tendon objects has been turned off in the active window (see Set Display Options), windowing around a portion of the structure that contains those objects will NOT select them. Other, non-graphical selection methods are not restricted by the visibility of the objects (see options on the Select menu).
By Pointer Each mouse click on an object selects or deselects the object. Only a single object at a time can be selected/deselected using selection By Pointer. When in Select mode, selection/deselection By Pointer is always available. Use the Selection List when multiple objects are present within the screen selection tolerance of the mouse click.
Tip: It is sometimes easier to select a single point object by drawing a window around it rather than trying to click on it.
By Window Draw a window around one or more objects to select them. Draw a window around an object as follows:
Position the mouse pointer above and to the left (or below and to the right) of the object(s) to be selected by windowing.
Depress and hold down the left button on the mouse.
While keeping the left button depressed, drag the mouse to a position below and to the right (or above and to the left) of the object(s) to be selected.
Release the left mouse button.
Tip: If the mouse moves from left to right while dragging, only objects completely inside the window are selected. If the mouse moves from right to left while dragging, objects fully or partially inside the rectangle will be selected. Dragging from top to bottom or bottom to top does not affect selection.
Note: Window selections are additive. Objects in the selection window that were previously selected will stay selected.
Objects can also be deselected by window. To deselect by window, click the Home > Select > Deselect > Pointer/Window, command and then draw the selection window as described above. The command must be used each time an object or set of objects is to be deselected.
After performing a single selection or deselection using any of the selection/deselection methods on the Select menu, the program automatically returns to selection By Window.
See Also