Wishes
Post your wishes about Graphisoft products: Archicad, BIMx, BIMcloud, and DDScad.

autocad style selection or something similar

Anonymous
Not applicable
This has probably been mentioned before...
I really dislike having to select the arrow button and then selecting partial or entire elements selection....it''s a waste of clicks
28 REPLIES 28
TomWaltz
Participant
I used Autocad for a few years and I always hated the right-left left-right selection thing. It seemed really inconsistent and I always found myself fighting it.
Tom Waltz
Anonymous
Not applicable
Lukas,

You are dead right, it has been mentioned before (see post)

But unfortunately you tend to get the same tired old responses from anyone who hasn't used AutoCAD or Allplan or any other CAD package whose programmers have realised this is a really smart feature.

I have been using ArchiCAD for about 15 years, but only used Allplan for about a year, and I immediately found the AutoCAD selection method extremely useful, and have therefore tried to add my weight and my poll to the topic.

I just wish some of our fellow ArchiCAD users would realise that Graphisoft can and must look at how other CAD software works and pick out the smart ideas to incorporate in ArchiCAD.

The smart thing to do is what Allplan does, and that is to give users a choice of:
  • selecting elements entirely within the selection box (as ArchiCAD)
    selecting elements within and crossing the direction box (as ArchiCAD)
    selecting elements by the direction the selection box is drawn (the AutoCAD selection method)
Allplan also tints the selection box depending on the direction, which helps remind you what method you are using.

And Tom & Rob,

I guess if Graphisoft had posted a poll about say the tracker, they would have had a number of users who said we don't want this feature, and yet after a few weeks you feel like you can't do without it. For me the AutoCAD style selection is the same.

I for one will be really frustrated if Graphisoft have not included it in ArchiCAD 11.
TomWaltz
Participant
Andy wrote:
And Tom & Rob,

I guess if Graphisoft had posted a poll about say the tracker, they would have had a number of users who said we don't want this feature, and yet after a few weeks you feel like you can't do without it.
I didn't like Tracker when it was new and I still don't. I thought maybe it was just me, but none of my 25 users liked it either. Out of them, only 1 actually uses it.
Tom Waltz
Rob
Graphisoft
Graphisoft
Tom, strangely enough I actually use the tracker, I have used to it quite quickly somehow.
::rk
Anonymous
Not applicable
Guys, as I have mentioned before, it could be as simple as that - a check box in Work Environment.
Switched Off for Old-style-AC-lovers! 😉
Arrow tool wish.jpg
Anonymous
Not applicable
coming from autocad - this is still the one most desired option that i too would like to see. And, to allow a selection check box for those who don't like it - because whatever - so they have the choice to not use it. The current selection method uses up too many mouse/button/wrist movements that i could use doing other things.

A prayer >> Please, oh fairey god princess, please guide the graphisoft code develpment wizards to offer the option to have a drag left or drag right to select entirely within or crossing method like (i dare to say) autocad. Amen.

I tried - again.
Laura Yanoviak
Advocate
Tom had made a suggestion somewhere for a toggle between the two marquee selection modes -- I think that would be a good idea (instead of having the selection dependent on the direction of the drag).
MacBook Pro Apple M2 Max, 96 GB of RAM
AC26 US (5002) on Mac OS Ventura 13.5
Link
Graphisoft Partner
Graphisoft Partner
It's been discussed for years. Here's a poll on simply allowing us an arrow tool selection toggle.

Cheers,
Link.
Anonymous
Not applicable
Link wrote:
It's been discussed for years...
Thanks Link, but it just needs fixing.

In my opinion the selection by direction of marquee option is better than a shortcut key, because effectively you have both methods ready and available all the time.

Allplan has the options of direction based selection, inside the marquee, inside & crossing the marquee, and crossing the marquee (see below)

Like any changes to the User Interface, it just takes a bit of time to learn an new way of working. But small improvements can really improve the user experience.
TomWaltz
Participant
Andy wrote:
Link wrote:
It's been discussed for years...
Thanks Link, but it just needs fixing.

In my opinion the selection by direction of marquee option is better than a shortcut key, because effectively you have both methods ready and available all the time.

Like any changes to the User Interface, it just takes a bit of time to learn an new way of working. But small improvements can really improve the user experience.
How would the right/left thing work with the Polygon or Rotated Rectangle selection methods?
Tom Waltz