Picking Various Types of Objects

Use the Pick > Object Types tools to pick curve-on-surface elements, image planes, selection handles, and all objects and lights in a scene.

To use one of these tools, select it from the Pick > Object Types menu in the Tool Palette, or click its icon.

	Curve on surf See Picking Curves-on-Surface on page 161
	Image plane See Picking Image Planes on page 162
	All obj/lights See Picking All Objects and Lights in a Scene on page 163
	Selection handle See Picking Selection Handles on page 164

Pick > Object Types > Curve on surf

Picking Curves-on-Surface

Purpose

To pick curves-on-surface.

The term curve-on-surface refers to an independent curve element that has been either:

1. Constructed directly on a surface using Curves > Curves > New curve on surface, or

2. Projected onto a surface using Surface Edit > Create CurvesOnSurface > Project, Surface Edit > Create CurvesOnSurface > Intersect, Surface Edit > Create CurvesOnSurface > Project normal or Surface Edit > Create CurvesOnSurface > Geometry mapping.

The term curve-on-surface does not refer to any other curves that may be part of a surface component, or to the original construction curves used to create a surface. A curve-on-surface is easily recognized by its distinctive color in comparison to regular curves.

How to Use

1

Select Pick > Object Types > Curve on surf from the Tool Palette, or click its icon.

The system prompts:

Use mouse to select curve on surface to pick/unpick: [Left Toggle][Middle Replace][Right Remove]

2

Click directly on the curve-on-surface in the modeling or SBD window.

Alternatively:

• Draw a pick box around the object that contains the curve-on-surface you want to pick.

• Use the Pick Walker with the keyboard. (See Using the Pick Walker on page 15.)

Pick > Object Types > Image plane

Picking Image Planes

Purpose

To pick one or more image planes.

How to Use

1

Create an image plane in a window using File > Import > Image plane.

2

Select Pick > Object Types > Image plane from the Tool Palette, or click its icon.

3

Click on the image plane in the window.

Picked image planes are displayed in modeling windows with a highlight around the border.

In the SBD window, picked image planes are displayed with a highlighted border underneath the camera to which they are attached.

You can pick image planes in the SBD window using any of the following object picking modes:

• Pick > Template

• Pick > Component

• Pick > Object Types > Image plane

• Pick > Object.

Pick > Object Types > All obj/ lights

Picking All Objects and Lights in a Scene

Purpose

To pick all objects and lights in a scene.

How to Use

Select Pick > Object Types > All obj/lights from the Tool Palette, or click its icon.

• All lights and objects in the scene become active, including any templated geometry.

• The current status of objects does not change. Objects that are active at the time the function is invoked remain active.

• Any geometry that is currently set to invisible is not selected.

• In the SBD window, items and groups are picked at the object level.

Pick > Object Types > Selection handle

Picking Selection Handles

Purpose

Sets the pick mode to selection handles.

Overview

Selection handles are intended to make picking and manipulating objects or hierarchies of objects easier.

For more information, see Creating Selection Handles on page 229.

How to Use

1

Select Pick > Object Types > Selection handle from the Tool Palette or click its icon.

The system prompts:

Use mouse or enter name of item to pick/ unpick:

2

If you have named the object, type its name using the keyboard and press Enter, or click directly on the selection handle in the modeling or ASBD window.

Notes

• When you pick a selection handle, all other items that are not attached to the selection handle become unpicked.

• If you drag over part of an object that has a selection handle, the object is not picked unless the selection handle itself is included in the dag.

• When you pick the selection handle in the SBD or ASBD windows, any node can be picked, regardless of whether or not it has a selection handle.

Example

The following illustration shows how the pick mode of selection handles is displayed in the modeling and ASBD windows.