Selecting objects in 3D needs improvement

[Christiaan]

We need more control over the selection of objects in 3D view.

By default if we click on something we can see then we should select that object, not every other object in the background that we can't see.

Then perhaps we could do with having the x-ray feature supporting 3D as well as 2D.

[AndiACD]

Why not a sort of CAD "Depth of Field" toggle option, so that when you need to pick a certain item, the objects nearest your current point of view(centre screen) are more solid/darker and thus more likely to fall under the "Selection Lottery Factor".

Cancel the toggle to return to standard view.

Yes i appreciate the code genies will have to work hard to get it to function, but . . . . .

Edited August 10, 2012 by AndiACD

[Kevin McAllister]

This is a frustrating and ongoing problem in 3D. I'm not sure why it always wants to select the background objects.....

KM

[Christiaan]

Could this possibly be the most annoying thing in VW?

[Bruce Kieffer]

Agreed it's a mess. A couple of workarounds I use are: Change views until the object you want to select is separate from other objects. Go back to your original view and do a "Modify/Send/Send to Front" command, then it can be selected again easily when you accidentally deselect it!!! Alternatively, and what I do more often, I heavily class my objects so I can see only a few at a time. More up front work, but much less frustration when trying to select an object amongst a bunch of other objects. Being able to navigate back and forth between next and previous views is helpful here. I've assigned those commands to buttons on my mouse.

[VincentCuclair]

I wonder if this is somehow related to how it is in Top/Plan view where the order in which the objects were created dictates how easily(hard) they are selected!? In Top/Plan view the last created object is selected first when several are superimposed, can it be the same in the other views? I haven't tested this yet though.

[Bruce Kieffer]

I wonder if this is somehow related to how it is in Top/Plan view where the order in which the objects were created dictates how easily(hard) they are selected!? In Top/Plan view the last created object is selected first when several are superimposed, can it be the same in the other views? I haven't tested this yet though.

Vincent,

I do believe that any newly created object in a layer is automatically "on top" of everything else in that layer, regardless of the view.

[Dieter @ DWorks]

Agreed it's a mess. A couple of workarounds I use are: Change views until the object you want to select is separate from other objects. Go back to your original view and do a "Modify/Send/Send to Front" command, then it can be selected again easily when you accidentally deselect it!!! Alternatively, and what I do more often, I heavily class my objects so I can see only a few at a time. More up front work, but much less frustration when trying to select an object amongst a bunch of other objects. Being able to navigate back and forth between next and previous views is helpful here. I've assigned those commands to buttons on my mouse.

Another workaround is grouping, even temporarely.

[Jonathan Pickup]

Does the Select Coincedent Objects work to choose the objects that line up?