Selection Mode ( Modeling - for preselection )

Tool summary :

  • Activates Select Items mode, which is Modeling 's base mode. The mode is primarily used for preselecting items to edit or move or modify.
  • This help page assumes that you are using a 3-button mouse and have not modified this mode using Mode Configuration . SDS2 recommends that users of SDS2 programs use a mouse with a mouse wheel .
  • 3-button mouse bindings discussed on this page include:
    • Select (left-click) ( )
    • Double-click (left-click twice)
    • Menu (right-click to open the context menu) ( )
    • Select+ (left-click with Shift pressed) ( )
    • Select- (left-click with Ctrl pressed) ( )
    • Toggle (left-click with Ctrl+Shift pressed)
  • Select Items mode also has mouse bindings that are discussed elsewhere:
  • See the step-by-step instructions .

Also see :

VIDEO A mouse button binding reporter indicates the commands for Select Items mode that particular mouse buttons are bound to. (Recorded in SDS2 Detailing , v7.2.)

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   Step-by-step instructions :

Select Items mode is the base mode of Modeling . Immediately after you start up Modeling , you will automatically be in Select Items mode. The mode is designed for pre-tool selection. First you select items, then you activate the tool that acts on the items. Other modes -- Select Item(s) and Select One Item -- are used for in-tool selection (if you start up a tool without having first made an appropriate pre-tool selection).

YouTube video: There are a number of different ways to select and deselect members in Modeling . (Recorded in SDS2 Detailing , v2020i)

1 . To invoke Select Items mode, use any of the following methods:

Method 1 : Start up Modeling . You will automatically be in Select Items mode.

Method 2 : Click the icon pictured above . In classic, the icon can be found on a toolbar. In lightning, the ribbon editor.

Method 3 : Use Mode Return or press the Esc key to pop out of your current mode and back into Select Items mode.

2 . While in Select Items mode, the following options are available on a 3-button mouse:

no key pressed
  • Select (left-click)
  • Double-click (left-click)
  • Pan (drag while holding down the middle mouse button)
  • Menu (right-click to open the context menu)
  • Select+ (left-click with the Shift key pressed)
  • Select- (left-click with the Ctrl key pressed)
  • Rotate (drag while holding down middle mouse button with Shift pressed)
  • Toggle (left-click with the Ctrl+Shift keys pressed)
  • If you have a roller mouse , the roller can be used to zoom in and zoom out from the position of the mouse pointer ( ).
  • You can invoke any tool available in Modeling (e.g., Add Beam , Construction Line Add , etc.).

3 . To get out of Select Items mode:

3a : Invoke any other mode that is available in Modeling . For example, invoke Member Mode .

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Select (left-click)

default bindings ( no key pressed)

VIDEO Select Items mode is used to select and deselect members in the model. (Recorded in SDS2 Detailing , v7.2.)

If the material you click on is a " user created material ," then clicking it selects that material. This also applies to materials that are parts of custom members or parametrics , even if they are not tagged as " user created material ."

To select a user-added material when ' Default ' is the filter:
selection filter
   
1 . Left-click ( Select ) a use-created material . 2 . The material (e.g., a shear stud ) turns the " Primary selection surface color " ( green in this example).

If the material you click on is a connection material , clicking that material does not select the material -- it selects the entire connection (the connection component ).

To select a connection component when ' Default ' or ' Connection Components ' is the selection filter:
selection filter
   
1 . Left-click ( Select ) a connection material or connection bolt or connection weld. 2 . The connection turns the " Primary selection surface color " ( green in this example).

If the material you hover is a connection material , you can select that material -- instead of the connection component -- by using the context menu (right-click and choose that material's piecemark on the menu).

To select a connection material when the filter = ' Default '.
selection filter
   
1 . Hover the material you want with your mouse pointer, right-click ( Menu ), then choose " Select Other " on the menu and select the material you want.   2 . The selected material turns the " Primary selection color " (green in this example).

If the material you click is a member main material , clicking that material does not select the material -- it selects the member.

Tip: To select the member main material instead of the member for the situation shown below, hover the main material with your mouse pointer ( ), then right-click and choose " Select Other " on the context menu .

To select a solid form member with the filter set to ' Default '.
selection filter
   
1 . Left-click ( Select ) the main material of the member you want.   2 . The selected member turns the " Primary selection color " (green in this example). 


 To select multiple items by area.
Set the selection filter , then hold down the left mouse button ( Select or Select+ or Toggle ) and drag the mouse pointer to form an area box around the items you want.
Also see: When " Point selection by area box " is set to ' Directional ' and the area box is drawn from right to left, the area box potentially selects more items.

Tips and tricks for Select:

  • Select lets you select one item at a time. To select more than one item, hold down the Shift key. See Select+ .
  • By default, the Select mouse button is the left mouse button for a 2-, 3-button mouse. You can change this using Mode Configuration .
  • Notice that an item highlights when the mouse pointer ( ) hovers it ( exception: see " Highlight surfaces "). The highlighting tells you that the item will be selected when you left-click ( Select ) that item.
  • Once an item is selected, you can use the context menu to perform operations on that item or to select a different item.
  • Items that can be selected include members, materials, holes and bolts.
  • To select a member when ' Default ' is the selection filter , click the member main material. To select the member main material instead of the member, choose " Select Other " on the context menu .
  • If the model is in stick form, only members can be selected.

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Double-click (left-click twice)

default bindings ( no key pressed)

Double-click a member's main material to edit that member.
selection filter
With ' Default ' the selection filter , double-click a member main material to open that member's edit window (the Vertical Brace Edit window in this example). For a stair, double-click the stringer. For a custom member , the material you need to click depends on the member.

Double-click a member's main material to edit that material
(The selection filter must = ' Material ')
selection filter
 
With ' Material ' the selection filter, double-click a member main material to open the edit window for that material. In this example, the Rolled Section Material window opens.

Double-click a connection's material, bolt, or weld to edit that connection component
selection filter
 
With ' Default ' the selection filter , double-click a connection material , bolt or weld to open the Connection Component Edit window for the connection on that end of the member.

Double-click a material to edit that material
(The selection filter must = ' Material ' or ' Legacy Default ')
selection filter
 
With ' Material ' or ' Legacy Default ' the selection filter , double-click any material -- even a system connection material like the one in this example -- to open the edit window for that material. In this example, the Rectangular Plate Material window opens.

Double-click a connection bolt to edit that bolt
(The selection filter must = ' Bolts ' or ' Legacy Default ')
selection filter
With ' Bolts ' the selection filter , double-click a bolt to open the Bolt Edit window for that bolt. Note: If the selection filter had been ' Default ' in this example, the Connection Component Edit window for that end of the member would have opened instead of the Bolt Edit window.

Double-click connection weld to edit that weld
(The selection filter must = ' Welds ' or ' Legacy Default ')
selection filter
With ' Welds ' the selection filter , double-click a weld to open the Edit Weld window for that weld. Note: If the selection filter had been ' Default ' in this example, the Connection Component Edit window for that end of the member would have opened instead of the Edit Weld window.

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Menu (right-click opens the context menu).

default bindings ( no key pressed)

To configure a context menu:

In classic, Modeling or Drawing Editor , choose Load Configuration to set the context menu configuration > choose Settings > Context Menu Editor .

In lightning, Home > Utilites > Customize Interface > select the desired current role configuration > select a role or create a new role > click next to " Shortcut menu configuration " to choose the context menu configuration > press " Edit "

Modeling 's default context menu (members selected): Following is the default context menu (with all items shown) that you get when you right-click in the drawing area in Modeling with members selected. A similar menu with fewer options is shown when no members are selected or hovered with your mouse pointer ( ).

VIDEO Right-click opens the context menu for choosing " S elect Other... " and " E dit Other... " (Recorded in SDS2 Detailing , v7.2.)

Select Other... E dit Other... and " """" Show Detail Other... " are built-in cascade menus. " Tiles " is a custom cascade menu. Click here and here and here and here and here for examples that show the use of the context menu in Modeling .

Model Tree's default context menu: Following is the default context menu that you get when you click the mouse button for ( Menu ) (by default, right-click) in the Model Tree .

" Edit this " and " Select " are visible only when an item is hovered with the mouse pointer ( ). Other commands are visible only when there is an appropriate selection. " Expand all " and " Collapse all " are always visible.

The " Tiles " cascade menu.

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Select+ (left mouse button with the Shift key pressed)

default bindings ( Shift key pressed)

VIDEO Select Items mode is used to select and deselect members in the model. (Recorded in SDS2 Detailing , v7.2.)

Select + to select multiple items
(selection filter = ' Material ' in this example)
selection filter
   
1 . Set the selection filter to the desired type of item. While pressing the Shift key, left-click ( Select+ ) the desired item. 2 . The item turns the " Primary selection color " (green in this example). You can then select more items using Select+ .

To select multiple items by area
Set the selection filter . Hold down the left mouse button ( Select or Select + ) and drag the mouse pointer to form an area box around the items you want.
Also see: When " Point selection by area box " is set to ' Directional ' and the area box is drawn from right to left, the area box potentially selects more items.

Tips and tricks for Select+:

  • By default, the Select+ mouse button for a 3-button mouse is the left button with the Shift key pressed. You can change this using Mode Configuration .
  • To select members, hold down the Shift key and left-click ( Select+ ) the member main material. To select materials, left-click ( Select+ ) on those materials.
  • Once all items you want are selected, you can right-click ( Menu ) and use the context menu to perform operations on those items.
  • To deselect all items except the one you click on, use Select .
  • To deselect items, use Select- .

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Select- (left mouse button with Ctrl pressed)

default bindings ( Ctrl key pressed)

VIDEO Select Items mode is used to select and deselect members in the model. (Recorded in SDS2 Detailing , v7.2.)

Select- to deselect a material
(Selection filter = ' Material ' in this example)
selection filter
   
1 . Set the selection filter to the desired type of item. While pressing the Ctrl key, left-click ( Select- ) a selected material. 2 . The material is deselected (no longer displayed in the selection color).

Tips and tricks for Select-:

  • By default, the Select- mouse button for a 3-button mouse is the left button with Ctrl pressed. You can change this using Mode Configuration .
  • Select- can only be used to deselect one or more items that are currently selected. If you draw an area box using Select- , multiple items can be deselected simultaneously.
  • With ' Default ' the selection filter : Press the Ctrl keys and left-click ( Select- ) the main material of a member to deselect that member; left-click ( Select- ) a material other than main material to deselect that material.

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Toggle (left button with Ctrl+Shift pressed)

default bindings ( Ctrl+Shift )

Toggle to deselect an item
  selection filter
 
1 . While pressing the Ctrl+Shift keys, left-click ( Toggle ) a selected item ( stick member in this example). 2 . The member is deselected (no longer displayed in the selection color).

Toggle to select an item
  selection filter
 
1 . While pressing the Ctrl+Shift keys, left-click ( Toggle ) an item ( stick member in this example). 2 . The newly selected member turns the " Primary selection color " (green in this example).

Tips and tricks for Toggle:

  • By default, the Toggle mouse button for a 3-button mouse is the left button with Ctrl+Shift pressed. You can change this using Mode Configuration .
  • Toggle can be used to select an item as well as to deselect.
  • Warning: Drawing an area box using Toggle inverts the selection. That is, selected items are deselected, while previously unselected items become selected.

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