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14-Alexandrite
January 30, 2017
Question

Creo 4.0 - component selection

  • January 30, 2017
  • 7 replies
  • 23157 views

Hello everyone!

 

I have a problem understanding the selection filter in Creo 4.0 assembly mode. By default the filter (in assembly) is set to geometry and I was wondering If anyone has an explanation - Why did they implemented this change?

What is the benefit?

Why would anyone want to select geometry on assembly level?

 

I couldn’t find any benefits but I did notice that this change caused an increase in number of clicks for most basic operations ( like component selection ).

For example in Creo 3.0 if I wanted to select and activate a component that was on the inside of an assembly ( behind other components).
Clicks:


Right mouse button (until desired component is highlighted)

Left mouse button to select the desired component

Right mouse button - Activate

 

Creo 4.0
Clicks:


Select selection filter

Change the selection filter to part

Right mouse button (until desired component is highlighted)

Left mouse button to select the desired component

Right mouse button - Activate

Select selection filter

Change the selection filter to geometry

 

 

I know that with holding the Alt key I can bypass geometry filter. But the problem is that pressing and holding the alt key selects (FEATURE or part). So when holding the alt key and pressing right mouse button first all features are highlighted and then at the end componets are highlighted. So instead of just a click or two it can happen that I have to click more than 40 times + (depends on the complexity of the part) to select a desired component…

I also tried to define my own selection filter ( in file – options – selection ) and added only part to my filter. At first that seems to work fine, but it causes “problems” in other areas. For example activating a component in an assembly still leaves the selection filter on “my filter” ( part ) so I have to change the filter back to geometry to edit a part feature…

Any thoughts on this subject?
Is there a way to change the behavior in assembly mode back to the way that it was in Creo 3.0 ( without recording mapkeys)?

Is there a way to set option that with pressed ALT key only components are highlighted ( without features)?

 

Short video showing component selection in Creo 4.0:

 

Video Link : 7526

7 replies

21-Topaz I
January 30, 2017

I haven't played with it yet, but it might be related to this:

Improve selection sequence

It wouldn't surprise me if they tried to fix one thing and broke another.

mcestnik14-AlexandriteAuthor
14-Alexandrite
February 6, 2017

It seems that product idea for improving selection filter that is posted above was taken into account.
Selection of geometry on part level is improved  - the selection start with the first thing under the mouse and then shows items as they would be encounterd moving through the model ( surfaces first ).

The problem is that the same selection filter is set in assembly mode. Who would want to select geometry on assembly model and for that sacrifice component selection with right mouse button?

21-Topaz I
February 6, 2017

You can setup your own filter with whatever filter selections you want and then set that as the default:

Capture.PNG

1-Visitor
February 7, 2017

I don't have Creo 4.0, but I used the pre-release beta.

There was new way to click on an edge in the component, and a menu popped up.  One of the items shown in this menu was "hierarchy tree" that showed the edge, its parent feature above that, then the feature's parent above that, etc.., up until the component.  Am I wrong in thinking you could use this to activate the component?

mcestnik14-AlexandriteAuthor
14-Alexandrite
February 10, 2017

You are right and this works great for components that are on the outside (external components) of the assembly.
But if the assembly has internal components it is very hard to select an edge or any other geometry element on that internal component - in this case hierarchy tree sadly doesn't help...

21-Topaz I
February 10, 2017

Have you tried opening a case to see if this is intended functionality?

If so then I would suggest you open up a product idea.

5-Regular Member
April 12, 2017

Any news on the issue? I have the same complaints as you. For now I've defined my own filter as part, activation requires either I reset it or start diving into the model tree...

mcestnik14-AlexandriteAuthor
14-Alexandrite
April 14, 2017

Yesterday after two months of waiting I got the response:

"

The Case is under investigation and I'll get back to you ASAP.

"

So for now there are no new news on this topic. My questions for tech support were:

  1. Selection filter in Creo 4.0 assembly mode is by default (in assembly) set to geometry. Why was this change implemented? What are the benefits?
  2. What is the recommended procedure for selecting internal components (in graphic window) in a Creo 4.0 assembly?
  3. Is there a way to change selection functionality back to as it was in Creo 3.0? If not yet, are there any plans?
  4. Pressing the ALT key while selecting components selects features or parts (features have priority). Is there a way to change the priority so components would be first to highlight?
  5. Setting my own default filter and adding only part to selection does the trick. But when activating a component while filter is set to »my filter« (part), filter stays set to »my filter« and only component is available for selection. Is there a way to set that the filter while activating a component would change to component level filter. If not yet, are there any plans?
21-Topaz II
April 17, 2017

I haven't used Creo 4 much yet, I'm curious - do you have highlighting on or off? 

Prior to Creo 4 that changed the default selection methodology.  With it on, you'd get the "smart" filter which, in part mode, highlighted features first and then, once a feature was selected, would highlight geometry.  In assy mode, it highlighted parts and then once a part was selected, geometry would highlight.

With prehighlighting off the smart filter wasn't available and I'm not sure what the default selection order is as I rarely use it.

23-Emerald IV
April 17, 2017

The smart filter has been removed from Creo 4.  I will try to find the documentation....

13-Aquamarine
April 23, 2017

Hi Matevz & All,

The change in selection paradigm in assembly Creo 4 was intended.

The reasons for that are several ones.

- The desire to allow both future creation and editing which can be achieved today (Creo 4)  with geometry selection, the mini toolbar and the dual context.

- Pre-selection highlight issues that were raised by a lot of users on having parts as the default selection filter in assembly.
(I've heard of a lot of users that turned off pre-selection highlight before Creo 4)

I do agree that in some cases, if you want to query into the model by parts, the current default filter would be less efficient and that's is why you can either switch to a part filter or use Alt (which I know has a lot of other selectable objects)

What if we do the following changes?

- Make in assembly Alt+LMB select only parts

This will allow easier access to parts but will require switch to feature filter (as before for feature selection in graphics).

Thanks,

Eyal Chaki

Technical Fellow, Creo User Experience

mcestnik14-AlexandriteAuthor
14-Alexandrite
April 24, 2017

Hello Eyal Chaki!

What if we do the following changes?

- Make in assembly Alt+LMB select only parts

This will allow easier access to parts but will require switch to feature filter (as before for feature selection in graphics).


I totally support this change and I think that suggested change would solve all the inconveniences with query into models by parts.
Probably most of ( if not even all ) other Creo users would agree with me.


Matevz

12-Amethyst
January 25, 2019

We recently moved to CREO5 from CREO3 and this new selection filter is driving me nuts!

Has anyone found a way to make it work like CREO3 again in the two years that this was originally posted?

1-Visitor
January 25, 2019

Sadly, no.

I have not heard or seen a response from anyone at PTC regarding this glaring issue either.

 

I tried to explain to PTC the difference between 2.0 and 4.0, in my case, and example how impossible it is to edit features of an activated component in an assembly, where there are invisible, inactive components in front of the activated part.

 

But alas, that all fell on deaf ears and was filed under the generic response that, "It is working to specification, therefore there is nothing wrong."

Which basically tells me, their specification for Creo 4.0 was to make the component and feature selection more difficult while working in an assembly.  Mission accomplished!

10-Marble
September 20, 2023

Looks like I am late to the party, but oh my...this is by far THE biggest drawback in Creo 10.0.1.0

 

I am glad to see, that other people have the exact same problem, though I guess we are small minority, otherwise PTC would have added the smart filter back by now. Since there is no way to get the old smart filter behavior back, does anyone have have any advice on the issue?