Selecting Items During a Balloon Component Command?

[msiders]

Hello,

I've been a Mechanical Designer for over 5 years and have recently started using PTC Creo Parametric 3.0 M070.  I have asked my fellow designers regarding this issue and have been searching trying to find a solution and have not found anything on it.

I have an assembly drawing with 4 sheets, 2 of which contain Section views.

Within the section views, I am trying to use the Balloon Component command.

I have found that when using this command, I am unable to select items being shown in the section view.

What I have found to be happening, is that it is selecting the items that are in the foreground, yet are not displayed within the view.

So my question is, is it possible to turn off the selection of items not shown in section, so that I can only select items that are displayed in a section view?

I have taken a few screen shots to help explain/show my issue.

In the first picture, I am able to select the items I want to balloon, prior to running the balloon component command.

I have tried selecting the items, then running the command, but have found this clears the selection.

I have checked to see if the ability to pre-select items before running a command is active, and it is.

The second picture shows the problem I am having.

While the balloon Component command is active, I am unable to select the items shown in the view, due to the items not shown in the foreground taking precedence over the items shown.

The items circled in red is attached the a plate in the foreground of the machine view.  Both the screen and plate are clearly not displayed in the previous view, yet when the Balloon Component command is active, these objects are all I can select.  This problem happens in all of my sections views, this view just allows me to display it clearly.

Now I know I am able to right click over the object I want.  Select Pick From List in the RMB command window, then select the object I want within that command.   But this route greatly decreases productivity and increases the amount of clicks and commands in order to perform a simple function.

I am also aware that I can use the balloon view command.  However this places balloons all over, and adds balloons that I do not need.  Again adding to the amount of time taken to do a simple function of ballooning a couple components.   Where using the balloon component to select the few items needed in this view would be favorable, but due to the problem I’ve explain in this post, it is just as tedious of a task as cleaning up the balloon view command.

Thanks you all for your help.

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[StephenW]

If I remember correctly, this has always been a problem so I don't really have a fix for you.

Your method of using pick from list is the slow way of using query select but gets the job done.

The quick query select is right click quickly (not click and hold like when you want to get the RMB menus) and it queries though the available parts/assy's under your mouse. It takes a little practice but it is much quicker than using the pick from list menu.  One caveat to this method is it will invariably pick the top level assembly at some point, so if it's a large assembly, it may take a while to highlight.

[msiders]

I could see this being a possible work around to the issue.  It would take a bit to get use to, but still not the most desirable scenario.  I am just finding it bizzar that objects not displayed are taking precedence over objects that are, just because they are in the foreground. Thanks for your input.

[mender]

Hmm, generally speaking we avoid selecting on things removed by sectioning.  This particular case may have a reason for how it is behaving, or may be a bug.  Could you possibly file an SPR on it, and I'll take a look?

[msiders]

I have submitted a SPR on the subject.  I also provided a link to this discussion.

[AmitDeshpande]

Hi Matt,

If you have Maintenance and a SCN, you can open a case with TS and the engineer can file a SPR for R&D to investigate further.  If you do open a case, I would suggest that you add a note that includes a link to this discussion.  For the tech support engineer to have a background to the issue.

Thanks,

Amit

[msiders]

I thought I had contacted TS, but actually contacted community support.  They directed me to make this post.  But I did submit the SPR and added the link to this post

[AmitDeshpande]

Hi Matt,

What is the SPR number?

Thanks,

Amit

[msiders]

It's been reported to R&D as SPR 5153112

https://support.ptc.com/appserver/cs/view/solution.jsp?n=CS227857

https://support.ptc.com/appserver/cs/view/spr.jsp?n=5153112

[dschenken]

The Balloon-view command can be handled this way:

Create a view off the format and show all the balloons there, then delete the ones you actually want to show in the target view.

Then show them by view and select the target view.

If you like you can continue to shuttle the balloons this way or just delete the off-format view and continue as you were.

One thing that is good about this technique is it roots out unplaced balloons without risking blowing the work done on an in-format view.

[DebraTossey]

David

Yes this method does work but I have to agree with Matt, this is time consuming.

Not only does this not add time to picking the correct items but when you go through and balloon the orginal view, how can you be confident that it is the correct item you want? You would have to go back and check to see if it is an item that is in the foreground of the section as opposed to the section you really want to balloon.

Can anyone explain what "CLIP VIEW IN Z-DIRECTION"? in the View properties dialog box?

DMT

[dschenken]

Debra,

I disagree.

If the user does not know what item the balloon is for they should not be using the software.

Since the software fails to operate correctly, as noted by the SPR, the workaround is appropriate. It is also applicable for determining which balloons have not been placed, reminding the user they have more work to do.

You should ask your new question in a new discussion.