Quick Select

luis

I'd like to make a selection of entities on just a part of a drawing.
The entities I want to select are those belonging to the layer number one AND those belonging to the layer number two. In Rakesh Rao filter app (it doesn't work in version 18) I sholuld use the option OR, i. e. entities belonging to layer 1 OR entities belonging to layer 2; and then a window on the area of drawing I want those entities to be.
But I don't achieve to do that in Bricscad with Quick Select tool.
Can anyone help?
Thanks

Louis_Verdonck

Hi Luis
You can do this in two steps: first create a new selection which contains the entities on layer 1, then use the 'Add to current selection set' option to add the entities on layer 2.

luis

Thanks, Louis.
That doesn't solve the problem, I'm afraid.
'Cause the problem is to do that IN JUST A PART OF THE DRAWING.
If I do what you say the selected entities will belong to the layer 1 and the layer 2 IN THE WHOLE DRAWING.
If I select a part of the drawing and aply to the current set the selection of entities belonging to layer 1, then, I obtain, in that part, the set of entities on layer 1. But then I cannot aply to the current set the selection of entities on layer 2 (because the current set contains ONLY entities on layer 1); and, if I don't aply to the current set, then added entities on layer 2 will be on the whole drawing. And what I want is entities belonging to both layers 1 and 2 in just a part of it.
I hope this time I've made myself understand.
Thanks for your help.

Michael Mayer

I tried with filters but there is no visible feedback which Layers are selected
or no way to select more than one at a time to subtract from selection (?)

Anthony Apostolaros

It would be easy to make a custom command that filters a selection set for objects on two layers. There's a good chance someone has already made one. You should ask at The Swamp.

Roy Klein Gebbinck

@luis:
With BKG_SelectSimilar this can be achieved. But it does require some steps:

1. You have to start the command first.
2. Then use 'BSSI to select all entities on layer 1.
3. In the same manner add all entities on layer 2 to the selection.
4. Finally deselect everything outside a window: type - or _R followed by _O or _Outside.

Roy Klein Gebbinck

Actually you can also do this without an add-on:

1. First use _Qselect as described by Louis.
2. Call the _Select command.
3. Use the Escape key to un-highlight all entities.
4. Call the command you want to use.
5. Select the entities from step 1 using _P.
6. Deselect everything outside a window as described in step 4 of my previous post.

luis

Ok, Roy. It works that way.
Thanks.
BKG_SelectSimilar doesn't work on my system, I don'nt know if such an app is not compatible with 18th release of the program or it is not compatible with my license.
Anyway, it is a little bit complicated. In my opinion developers ought to improve this tool to make it possible to select entities inside a window previously defined in order to simplify the process. Too many steps increase the possibilities to make a mistake.

Roy Klein Gebbinck

@luis:
BKG_SelectSimilar should work on BricsCAD V13-V18 Classic and up for Windows. If you can give more details I'll try to fix the problem.

David Waight

@luis:

If you read this thread http://www.theswamp.org/index.php?topic=53844.0

There may be a lisp routine in there which could work for you.

Anthony Apostolaros

David: Good find!

Luis: The Swamp has at least two excellent custom commands that filter a selection set for one or more layers. Both work in Bricscad:

• LOS by Alan J Thompson, on the page David linked to, uses a dialog box to select the layers

• SEL by Charles Alan Butler, on another page linked to from there, selects the layers just by picking objects on those layers. Preselect the area you want to limit it to, then call SEL, then pick objects on the layers you want to keep.

luis

Ok. Thanks a lot to everyone.
I've fixed my problem with 'bssi and now it works in the rignt way.
I've also tried LOS, that works fine and does exactly what I needed.

Richard Sands

I may be as thick as a brick here, but curiosity has got the better of me.
Why wouldn't you isolate layers 1 & 2 make your selection by some windowing option, then do whatever is needed.
Please put me out of my curious misery.
Thanks

Michael Mayer

In Microstation you would not change any Visibilities.
You would select by Marquee or any else many ways on all Layers.
Go to Selection "Tool" (yes!) Properties and go to the Layers Tab
where all Layers with selected objects are selected AND moved
to the top of the list and de-select the unwanted ones.
You could do the same by entity type tab, color, stroke thickness, ...
(so something like the structure browser in a selection tool.

So maybe in Bricscad you could create a custom Structure Browser
Filter for Layers.

A thought about Layers List behavior and Isolation. (btw I'm on Mac)
a)
As "locked" Layer Elements still select and highlight you have no visible
control and are even distracted if your critical operation will really only
concern the elements you want.
b)
When you have isolated one or more Layers, how to get fast to another
Isolation State ?
When you select some other or all Layers and try to Revert by "isolating"
these, Bricscad will not thaw these !?
c)
When you try to select Layers by Clicking the Layer Numbers holding
CMD/CTRL, you can individually add single Layers to the Selection.
But You can't de-select Layers from Selection this way !?
(Also holding SHIFT has a slightly different behavior than List Selection
standards usually are.

Anthony Apostolaros

@Richard Sands said:
Why wouldn't you isolate layers 1 & 2 make your selection by some windowing option, then do whatever is needed.

After any layer isolation scenario, I'd have to unlock or turn on all layers and change back to the active layer I was using.

If I use SEL, I don't have to do anything when I'm done -- just go on to the next thing. That saves a little time, and I do a lot of selection by layer. It also feels good. I hate going backward.

And the SEL method avoids the problems that come up if I forget to change the active layer back. When I put things on a wrong layer, it's always the result of a layer isolation operation after which I forgot to change back.

Richard Sands

@Anthony Apostolaros said:
Thanks Anthony.
I assumed there'd have to be a logical reason.