Two quick questions about selecting lines and constraints
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Two quick questions about selecting lines and constraints
When I am working with Freecad sketches I keep running into situations where I want to do one of the following:
1) Select one line that is on top or below another line. This often happens if I have a construction line and I am then adding a solid line over part of this (reall wish construction lines were dotted ) Currently I just keep trying until it selects.
2) Select a constraint for a specific point i.e. I have two lines joined at a corner with a coincident constraint and I want to delete that coincident constraint to extend one of the lines. This works fine if the constraint shows next to the point, in a lot of cases they do not though and the only way to find them sems to be to go through the constraint list clicking on them until the point you want goes green. Works but it is pretty tedious as the sketch gets bigger. I know I can name them but I am willing to be nobody puts a name to every Constraint. In this case I want to leave the blue construction line where it is and extend the white line to the longer line to its right. I have no specific case to share and I am happily creating what I want, it just occurred to me though I might be doing it the hard one and someone will tell me if I do ... it will just work So does anyone have any tips for me about how to cope best with this?
1) Select one line that is on top or below another line. This often happens if I have a construction line and I am then adding a solid line over part of this (reall wish construction lines were dotted ) Currently I just keep trying until it selects.
2) Select a constraint for a specific point i.e. I have two lines joined at a corner with a coincident constraint and I want to delete that coincident constraint to extend one of the lines. This works fine if the constraint shows next to the point, in a lot of cases they do not though and the only way to find them sems to be to go through the constraint list clicking on them until the point you want goes green. Works but it is pretty tedious as the sketch gets bigger. I know I can name them but I am willing to be nobody puts a name to every Constraint. In this case I want to leave the blue construction line where it is and extend the white line to the longer line to its right. I have no specific case to share and I am happily creating what I want, it just occurred to me though I might be doing it the hard one and someone will tell me if I do ... it will just work So does anyone have any tips for me about how to cope best with this?
- Shalmeneser
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Re: Two quick questions about selecting lines and constraints
+1
* select in the constrain list
* suppress one item
* use Sketcher_Extend
* use Sketcher_Split
* ...
* select in the constrain list
* suppress one item
* use Sketcher_Extend
* use Sketcher_Split
* ...
- thomas-neemann
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Re: Two quick questions about selecting lines and constraints
if you drive the restriction with the mouse. the name lights up at the bottom of the screen. is that helpful?
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Re: Two quick questions about selecting lines and constraints
If you have a construction line coincident with a normal line and the construction line is hidden below the normal line you can change the order of rendering by dragging the top item down.
Re: Two quick questions about selecting lines and constraints
When you select a point and want to delete since you can not delete any of the coincident points sketcher is smart enough to find the corresponding coincidence constraint and delete that.
To find a specific constraint or sketcher entity you can use Sketcher_SelectConstraints or Sketcher_SelectElementsAssociatedWithConstraints
Edit: added Wiki links for commands.
To find a specific constraint or sketcher entity you can use Sketcher_SelectConstraints or Sketcher_SelectElementsAssociatedWithConstraints
Edit: added Wiki links for commands.
Last edited by kisolre on Sat Sep 04, 2021 10:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Two quick questions about selecting lines and constraints
You can use the rectangle selection of the point. That selects the coincidence and you can delete it.
Or you select a line and use "Select associated constraints".
Or you select a line and use "Select associated constraints".
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Re: Two quick questions about selecting lines and constraints
This is an added control that I would find very useful. In another program that I used extensively in my career, PowerPoint, hitting the TAB key after any element is selected changes the selection to the next element. I don't know exactly how the elements are ordered, but hitting TAB enough times will cycle through everything, even those that are difficult to select by point and click.
Gene
Re: Two quick questions about selecting lines and constraints
Many thanks all,
Some really useful tips in your replies that I can try and use. I had missed the Extend tool altogether!
Just hitting delete on the point worked. I had assumed that this would delete the point and the lines etc. Now I know better I've shifted my construction lines to the bottom (Had never noticed this rendering option as I don't usually drop down that menu). @Kisolre I've not figured out how to do the select associated constraints option yet. Will have a peruse of the help later when I have a moment though I have found select constraints if I click on the item in the elements list.
Thanks for giving me some of your time on this.
Some really useful tips in your replies that I can try and use. I had missed the Extend tool altogether!
Just hitting delete on the point worked. I had assumed that this would delete the point and the lines etc. Now I know better I've shifted my construction lines to the bottom (Had never noticed this rendering option as I don't usually drop down that menu). @Kisolre I've not figured out how to do the select associated constraints option yet. Will have a peruse of the help later when I have a moment though I have found select constraints if I click on the item in the elements list.
Thanks for giving me some of your time on this.
Re: Two quick questions about selecting lines and constraints
Sorry, I was lazy to find the wiki pages. Edited the previous post and here they are again: Sketcher_SelectConstraints, Sketcher_SelectElementsAssociatedWithConstraints
Re: Two quick questions about selecting lines and constraints
No apology necessary, you did your job pointing me at the concept Thanks for the links though as it does make it easier to find.