Chain Select for picking curves? (eg Selecting "closed loop" for a surface)

christopher_owens

Since I can't select a sketch area to create a surface, must pick sketch entities... (I haven't tried "click and drag" a window yet)...I want to "Chain-Select" the curves. OK... dragging a window did work. I had only the sketch I wanted displayed...

andy_morris

When the Extrude dialog is open and the option set to "surface" you can select the sketch from the Feature List. This will create a surface(s) from all the entities in the sketch.

christopher_owens

Yep... tried that again with another sketch displayed... everything within the window was selected. Actually... that would of saved me a step! I could of created the two separate surfaces at once! (The sketches don't intersect)

christopher_owens

FYI, creating a surface in both directions Up to Surface to Cut "windows" in the "doors" (created the same way) of a "people mover"!

andy_morris

When the Extrude dialog is open and the option set to "surface" you can select the sketch from the Feature List. This will create a surface(s) from all the entities in the sketch.

christopher_owens

@andy_morris AH! Thanks! Sometimes the "old" CAD packages crop up in my thinking!

andrew_troup

I think multiple-entity selection is an activity where lots of productivity gains are there for the picking.
Currently, Onshape is fairly weak in this area, it seems to me.

What's more, some of the present tools promise more than they deliver, which is contrary to the usual Onshape pattern:

The current RMB "Create Selection" tool (the one which permits selection of faces, around a protrusion or hole, or "tangent connected") creates a false impression, it seems to me, by pretending to be active and available in sketch mode, and it wastes the user's time establishing whether it works.

For instance, "tangent connected" makes it seem as though it might work for selecting a chain of lines and arcs in a sketch. It doesn't.

christopher_owens

I did see "chain-select" (finally in the Help) for Offset in a sketch. The pop-up for Offset says to Pre-select entities, no mention of click-n-drag. But now I know!

Dean_Gardner

I totally agree with the frustrations shared here,  I'm looking to move over from NX and the ability to select a chain of curves from sketches or splines, 3D curves etc. should be standard.  you should be able to pick a curve in it's entirety or up to where it intersects another curve and then stop waiting for the next selection to make a loop, or series of surface ends to make a loft, for example.  This would allow you to patch in surfaces or loft straight from your geometry,  There are instances where not having this ability, stops you from generating the geometry that you want.  Considering these comments are from 2015, i assume this is still not integrated... 

NeilCooke

@Dean_Gardner the create selection tool might do what you want. If you want to jump on a call I'd be happy to show you.

Dean_Gardner

Hi Neil, would be great to jump on a call for this if you have time.

edvin_fields

The chain selection tool in sketch mode is like 7 clicks. It should simply be doubleclick. Biggest weakness so far in Onshape.