Selection panel

DesignSpark Mechanical Online Help

You are here: Selecting > Selection panel

Selection panel

Use the Selection panel to select objects in the same part that are similar or related to the object currently selected. The results list is based on the geometry you select for the search. See the examples below to see what happens when you click on each of the search results.

To select objects similar to the currently selected object

Select any 3D object.
Click the Selection tab to display the Selection panel.

The Selection tab is initially located at the bottom of the Structure panel.
(Optional) Select the Search all bodies option to search all bodies in the active component.

The following selection categories can be selected on more than one body:
- Edges: Same length, Same length with same orientation, Equal or smaller radius hole.
- Faces: Equal rounds, Equal or smaller rounds, Equal or smaller chamfer, Equal or smaller hole, Same area, Same place, Equal radius cylinder.
(Optional) Select a category from the drop-down list to show only those objects with the selected relationship.

Select All Types to display all the geometry related to your selection.
(Optional) If you turn off Automatically calculate power selection results in the Selection options page of DS Mechanical Options, then you must click to search for related objects in your design. Otherwise, the search results are automatically displayed.

Related objects are displayed in the main area of the panel. Mouse over the objects in the list to highlight those objects in the Design window.
(Optional) Set the Power Selection Relative Tolerance in the Selection options page of DS Mechanical Options to find items within a tolerance of the target size.
(Optional) Click a blue link to change that parameter in the search.
Click any number of the related objects in the list to add them to the current selection.

You can Ctrl+click to select multiple objects.

Selection categories

Selection categories are presented in the table below.

Category	Description	Example	Selection types
Beams	Beams based on profiles or length		Beams based on the profile of the currently selected beam. Beams with lengths <=, =, or >= the length of the currently selected beam.
Block volumes (SCDM Only)	Selects blocks based on their type: Mapped, Swept or Free	Find all Free blocks that you want to convert to swept or mapped blocks to get an all hex mesh.	Mapped, Swept or Free
Bodies	Bodies based on volume compared with the currently selected body.	This power selection category is especially useful when you need to find and delete multiple, small items in a design, such as fasteners.	All bodies with volume <=, =, or >= the volume of the currently selected body.
Bodies Mesh State (SCDM Only)	Finds bodies that have not been meshed.	Finds bodies that have still not been meshed so that you can mesh the remaining bodies.	All unmeshed bodies
Bodies with Mesh Options (SCDM Only)	Finds bodies that have similar mesh options defined on them.		All bodies with element size = x
Coaxial faces	Objects with the same axis		Coaxial hole Coaxial protrusion Coaxial cylinder Coaxial surfaces
Components	All instances of the selected component.		Components
Edges	Edges that are like the currently selected edge		Edges with same length Edges with same length and same orientation Edges with same length in same face Surface edge loop Hard sheet metal edges
Edges with Mesh Size Controls (SCDM Only)	Find edges that have mesh sizing controls defined on them.	Find all edges that have the same number of divisions assigned to control the mesh flow.	All edges with divisions = x All edges with mesh control
Face with match control (SCDM Only)	Find faces that have a match control defined on them.		Faces with match control
Faces with Boundary Layers Control (SCDM Only)	Find faces that have a boundary layers control defined on them.		All faces with Boundary Layers Control
Faces with Mapped Mesh Control (SCDM Only)	Find faces that have a mapped mesh control defined on them.		All faces with mapped mesh control
Faces with Mesh Size Control (SCDM Only)	Find faces that have mesh sizing controls defined on them.		All faces with element size = x All faces with mesh size control
Features	Groups of faces that form protrusions, depressions, inner faces, or that enclose other faces		Protrusion Depression Inner faces Enclosed by
Midsurface Face Thickness	Midsurface faces with the same thickness (including zero)	Finding zero thickness faces and surface bodies allows you to verify that thickness has been assigned to all faces and surface bodies in the model.	Faces and Bodies
Offset faces	Faces that have an offset relationship defined		All offset baseline faces All offset faces Faces with same offset All coincident faces
Patterns	Pattern members, entire patterns, or recognized patterns		Pattern member Recognized pattern All pattern members Note: If the pattern does not have a pattern relationship in DS Mechanical, you must hold Alt and select the face that contains the pattern members in order to select a recognized pattern.
Rounds	Rounds and chamfers		Equal radius rounds Equal or smaller radius rounds Equal or smaller-sized chamfers Variable radius round faces and chains of faces even if they are composed of a mix of constant and variable faces
Same Color	Faces and faceted bodies of the same color		Faces and faceted bodies
Same CurveIn 3D, any line in space. Type	Curves of the same color, type, and length		Faces with the same color as the originally selected face
Same Hole Dimensions	Standard Holes with the same Hole Dimensions		Standard Holes
Same size	Faces that have the same radius or area		Equal radius cylinder Equal radius hole Equal radius protrusion Faces with the same area Holes equal to or smaller than Surface holes equal to or smaller than
Sheet Metal	Sheet Metal objects		Miter Corners Same Junction type and parameters Beads and Forms with the same parameters
Suppressed Items			All bodies suppressed for physics
Sweepable Bodies (SCDM Only)	Finds bodies that have a natural sweep path for meshing.	Find bodies that have a natural sweep path to be automatically meshed. Other bodies may require more manual user intervention.	All sweepable bodies

To find all the edge loops of a surface

Select a surface that contains one edge loop.
Select Surface Edge Loop in the category list.

This option is useful when edge loops appear on top of each other in the Design window.

To select and create recognized patterns

Select a protrusion or depression that is a member of the pattern.
Hold Alt and select the planar face that contains the potential pattern.

You must select this face in order to recognize a pattern.
Select Recognized Pattern from the Related list.
Right-click the potential pattern and select Create Pattern from the context menu to convert the selected protrusions or depressions into a pattern.
(Optional) Select a face of a pattern member to display the count and dimensions for editing.

To select faces that surround an internal void

Click a face of the solid with internal faces.
Select Inner Faces from the category list.

To find all faces within the range of areas between two faces

Select two faces.
(Optional) Click in the Selection panel.

The search results display all faces in your design with an area between the two faces you selected.

To select all same color faces

Open a model with different colors on multiple faces of the model.
Select a face of a particular color.
Click the Selection panel tab in the Structure Tree.
Click the Faces with same color option under the Same color folder in the Selection panel.

All the faces with the same color as the originally selected face will be selected.

To select all surface bodies based on surface area

Open a surface model.
Select a surface body.
Click the Selection panel tab in the Structure Tree.
Click the All surface bodies with area option under the Bodies folder in the Selection panel.

All the surface bodies with areas <=, =, or >= the area of the originally selected surface body will be selected.

Examples

The round face is selected in the model shown below.

In the Selection panel, three categories are displayed.

Rounds
- All rounds equal to or smaller than 3 mm
Features
- Depression
Same Color
- Faces with same color

The faces highlighted below are selected when you click All rounds equal to or smaller than 3mm.

The faces highlighted below are selected when you click Depression.

All faces are selected when you clickFaces with same color since all of the model faces are the same color.