Selection preferences in Archicad

[_c_]

Coming from other CADs, I am having ongoing difficulties in selecting elements in Archicad. 

In Archicad the stacking order is not relevant, basically certain element types are always selected first. So, for example, slabs are always and forever in the way. If I am doing Rooms, I need the slabs but want to select the rooms if I click on them. It just won't ever happen.

I find that I am spending a ridicoulous amount of time tabbing/hiding/showing stuff, just to be able to SELECT something else.

Is it possible to control how things are selected aside of hiding layers or tabbing through?

[Barry Kelly]

If elements overlap (i.e a slab and a wall), you can hover your mouse over the shared edge or node and press TAB as you already know.

You can also activate the tool for the element you want (i.e the wall tool), hold SHIFT (to add to your selection) and just click on the shared edge/node.

The wall will select and not the slab.

If there happens to be multiple walls, you again use TAB.

If you want the slab and not the wall, activate the slab tool, then SHIFT click and you will get the slab.

You also have the quick select option (magnet) in the selection tool.

Spacebar is the keyboard shortcut to toggle it on/off, but you can set it on/off in the infobox settings for the selection (arrow) tool.

Quick select will allow you to select element by a surface if they have one (a closed polyline won't but a fill will).

So you don't need to click on a shared edge or node.

Again overlapping elements you can do as above with the TAB or select the tool for the element you want first.

This applies for the 2D elements as well.

Barry.

[_c_]

I apologize for the late answer, and thank you for the excellent explanation.

I didn't know this: "You can also activate the tool for the element you want (i.e the wall tool), hold SHIFT (to add to your selection) and just click on the shared edge/node." and hope to get a better result now.

I would love to ask something else too, which is bothering and worrying me a lot. If I select some objects and change a parameter value, I am not always seeing the value apply. The only way to be sure that things apply, is to change values to something totally non-existing, release the selection, re-select, the appy the needed value. 

Can it really be like that?

Also, there are values that can be edited in interactive lists, but not all. For example, certain GDL paramters can't be mass edited at all. One really can only select and change (seeing the limits above).

[Barry Kelly · Accepted solution]

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@_c_ wrote:

I would love to ask something else too, which is bothering and worrying me a lot. If I select some objects and change a parameter value, I am not always seeing the value apply. The only way to be sure that things apply, is to change values to something totally non-existing, release the selection, re-select, the appy the needed value. 

Can it really be like that?

Also, there are values that can be edited in interactive lists, but not all. For example, certain GDL paramters can't be mass edited at all. One really can only select and change (seeing the limits above).

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If you can give specific examples, that will help find an explanation.

If you are talking about objects as in library objects, then to change parameters all at once, each object must have exactly the same parameter.

They may appear to be the same parameter as far as the user sees it, but the underlying parameter name may be different.

Again, if you have examples, it will be easier to say what is happening.

With objects and other elements, if you select multiple of them, and want to change any parameter or property of them, then you must change it to something different from what you see in the selection settings.

For example, you have a red line, a green line and a blue line.

You select all of them.

Only the settings for one of the lines will show, say the blue one.

If you want to make them all red, then easy you just change the pen colour, and because you are changing the setting, they will all change.

If you want to make them all blue, you can't select the pen and click blue, it is already blue so the others won't change.

You must change to red, and then change to blue again for all of them to change.

That applies to object parameters as well.

You are only seeing the settings of one object, so if a parameter is set with the value you want, you must change it to something else and then change it back to set all of the objects the same.

Of course you can also use the Pipette (select settings) tool to pick up the settings of the correct element and then Syringe (inject settings) into other elements.

Barry.

[_c_]

😧