CAD Forum

SW2022 SP5

From time to time we have some edge that is not selectable apparently. I remember this problem from 10yrs ago popping up irregulary,
this time our engineer was working on a machine assembly, he made a dummy geometry as virtual component (a rectangular extrusion) and tried to dImension it In the machine assy drawing: the edges were not selecteable using smart dimension.

I tried to look for dinamic selection or similar options and they were altready active or just ineffective.

I narrowed the cause to the TRANSPARENT virtual component my engineer made. There were two display states (he did not create on purpose): one with transparency and one without, switching display state to the non trasparent one ALLOWED EDGE selection as expected.
the drawing view visualization was the same as transparency is supposedly not handled in 2022 drawings.

I do not understand this issue and I am noy able to recreate it with our updated templates, so my guess is something inside our legacy data that bites us when copying an existing project...

Any guess what trasparency could have to do with drawing dimensions edges not selectable in a view?

I am also seeing this issue (randomly, not repeatable) since SP5 dimensioning to tangent edges... It's annoying! My work-around is to turn wireframe mode on for that view, which allows adding the dimension, then turning it back to HLR when finished.

I have seen it over the years popping up on the rare occasion, never really got to the bottom of it.

Yep. This is literally the worst thing about SW. The way it handles drawings.
I ALWAYS use HLR views on my drawings. (Unless there is a very specific and/or compelling reason).
One thing I find soooo often when using weldment profiles. It will almost always default to the inner face of the box tube as the initial selection.
The number of times I have been caught out by this leaving an incorrect dimension is incredible.
I definitely do NOT have the "Allow selection in HLR and Shaded views" selected. But nonetheless...

Yeah.. I HATE making drawings.
Modelling, concept visualisations, design prototyping, literally every other aspect of this job is managable if not actually enjoyable. (Random Crashes and errors aside).
But 2D DRAWINGS ARE THE WORST PART OF THIS GIG.!

Damo wrote: ↑Sun Dec 03, 2023 9:00 pm Yep. This is literally the worst thing about SW. The way it handles drawings.
I ALWAYS use HLR views on my drawings. (Unless there is a very specific and/or compelling reason).
One thing I find soooo often when using weldment profiles. It will almost always default to the inner face of the box tube as the initial selection.
The number of times I have been caught out by this leaving an incorrect dimension is incredible.
I definitely do NOT have the "Allow selection in HLR and Shaded views" selected. But nonetheless...

Yeah.. I HATE making drawings.
Modelling, concept visualisations, design prototyping, literally every other aspect of this job is managable if not actually enjoyable. (Random Crashes and errors aside).
But 2D DRAWINGS ARE THE WORST PART OF THIS GIG.!

Try going from Solid Edge, where drawing (drafts) works quite well, to Solidworks where the only hope for the drawing environment is MBD.

Damo wrote: ↑Sun Dec 03, 2023 9:00 pm Yep. This is literally the worst thing about SW. The way it handles drawings.
I ALWAYS use HLR views on my drawings. (Unless there is a very specific and/or compelling reason).
One thing I find soooo often when using weldment profiles. It will almost always default to the inner face of the box tube as the initial selection.
The number of times I have been caught out by this leaving an incorrect dimension is incredible.
I definitely do NOT have the "Allow selection in HLR and Shaded views" selected. But nonetheless...

Yeah.. I HATE making drawings.
Modelling, concept visualisations, design prototyping, literally every other aspect of this job is managable if not actually enjoyable. (Random Crashes and errors aside).
But 2D DRAWINGS ARE THE WORST PART OF THIS GIG.!

I had an online session with two very nice ladies from SW development last week, and showed them that very issue. They promised they will work on improving it.

The selection of the inner face seems to follow the order of the "select other" which prioritize the background entity...

Glenn Schroeder wrote: ↑Mon Dec 04, 2023 9:02 am I had an online session with two very nice ladies from SW development last week, and showed them that very issue. They promised they will work on improving it.

Well.. If they "Promised" ... I guess I will wait and see.
Sometimes I am a bit of a sarcastic pessismist, but I do genuinely mean this. I will wait and see.!

mp3-250 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 04, 2023 5:05 pm The selection of the inner face seems to follow the order of the "select other" which prioritize the background entity...

Ooooo...!?!? Is this a setting I am not seeing..?

I see the "Select Other" option in the RMB Context Menu.
But I'm no clever enough to grok its workings..

Damo wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2023 4:48 pm Ooooo...!?!? Is this a setting I am not seeing..?

I see the "Select Other" option in the RMB Context Menu.
But I'm no clever enough to grok its workings..

The "Select Other" function is just a tool for situations where there are several options available for clicking on, such as one component behind or inside another one. When you click on that it will present a list of possibilities, and you click on the one you want to select for whatever operation or function you're doing.

There are many times when I don't get the "select other" option, despite there being other items I am trying to select.

SPerman wrote: ↑Wed Dec 06, 2023 9:39 am There are many times when I don't get the "select other" option, despite there being other items I am trying to select.

It depends on the command you are running and/or the context you are working in.

Glenn Schroeder wrote: ↑Wed Dec 06, 2023 8:28 am The "Select Other" function is just a tool for situations where there are several options available for clicking on, such as one component behind or inside another one. When you click on that it will present a list of possibilities, and you click on the one you want to select for whatever operation or function you're doing.

And so, I have tried this. WHen I am unable to select an edge/line, whatever, I rightclick and "Select Other".
Whaddaya know..!?!?! It automajickally allows lines that ought be selectable already, suddenly become selectable.
I can see I'll be using this quite a bit for the forseeable future.
But it does beg the question as to why there are some items, seemingly arbitrarily, not not be selectable.
It also does not answer, or help much, in my ongoing war with drawings in weldments as to why the selection process for dimensiuoning seems to heavily favour the unseeable line representing the internal face is the weldment profile.
This is literally the dumbest logic in this entire sh!tshow..

Meh. I did learn a new thing andhave gained "some" greater control.
Thisis not entirely bad.

Thanks mate.

PS.. Also seen you're being featured/mentioned in the swamp (UGC) for your extensive FAQ Compilation.
Nice work mate..
You are the literal definition of value add.