STUPID question about selecting entities (chaining)

[Bucky Cornstarch]

For the life of me, I can't get X4 MU2 to allow me to select entities with chaining. For example, I need to translate some entities: I select Xform, and the little yellow box says, "Translate: select entities to translate." No matter what I've tried, I can't get the general selection ribbon bar to allow me to chain entities. (I've turned on and off preselection in my config file, tried the shift key thing, and scoured the help files.) I even did a search on this site!

 

Can anybody help? This was SOP in V9 (and pretty much any CAD or CAM package I've ever used) so why does it have to be so difficult with X4?

[bogusmill]

You've tried more than 1 file I assume? I have had problems where I couldn't select anything too. It usually seems to be a Catia conversion file. Quite often restarting MC or the PC has cured the problem.

[nhraguy]

Try closing mastercam then restart it.

[nhraguy]

Looks like someone beat me to it:curse:. Also I would recommend installing MU3.

[K2csq7]

Does it work if your trying to select them for something besides Xform? like changing the color or level?

[gcode]

Make sure you don't have duplicate enities.

If you do.. they system doesn't know which ones

to select and does ..... nothing

[Colin Gilchrist]

In General Selection mode, hold down the Shift key on the keyboard and click on a piece of the geometry. If there are branch points, they will stop the chain.

[Bucky Cornstarch]

Best I can tell, it works "sometimes." Definitely not with transform, as I have tried it with different files. No duplicate entities here as I know how to create a solid model.

 

One more question: assuming I could get this to work, how can I choose between a full or partial chain, and turn on/off the plane mask? This is seriously frustrating, as it is such a PIA to choose individual entities every time.

 

Anyway, thanks to all for the advice. Looks like I'll be calling my reseller in the morning, and maybe emailing him some files. That is why I pay maintenance, right?

[maestro]

I have this happen to me sometimes as well. Running ramsaver usually clears it up.

[Tyler Robertson]

I'm going to take a wild guess - when you're chaining... are you selecting solid edges, or wireframe geometry?

 

jim, from this question:

 

quote:

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assuming I could get this to work, how can I choose between a full or partial chain, and turn on/off the plane mask? This is seriously frustrating, as it is such a PIA to choose individual entities every time.

---

(and not trying to sound condescending), you may want to take a training course, or get a training manual - you'll find yourself much less frustrated.

[gcode]

quote:

---

how can I choose between a full or partial chain,

---

hold down the shift key

click the first enitiy in the chain

and then

click the start of the last enitity

 

default chaining behaviour can be changed

at

Settings/System Config/Chaining

 

The X interface can be frusrtrating at first.

I believe there are some "getting aquainted" videos in the Version X download section of Mastercam's Support page.

They are worth your time to watch them

My dealer used to offer a free X introductory class, perhaps your does too.

The X inferface is far superior to V9's but it is totaly different. Once you get used to X4 you'll

hate V9

[Thad]

quote:

---

how can I choose between a full or partial chain, and turn on/off the plane mask? This is seriously frustrating, as it is such a PIA to choose individual entities every time.

---

Just taking a guess here, but Jim may be frustrated at the fact that the chain manager is not available for selecting geometry to X-form, change levels or colors, etc, like it was in V9. Yeah, I know about the shift key, but that only works on simple chains. Luckily, AI Utility has an icon for bringing up the chain manager for general geometry selection. I use it at least 20 times a day. I don't know why this was left out of X.

 

Thad

[LaszloK]

My proposed method:

 

1. select Entity selection drop-down

2. right click on chain icon (right click makes the chain selection stick)

3. select the chains (entire chains will be selected or click on start of chain and then end of chain for partial chains)

4. select transform function.

[Tyler Robertson]

Good point Thad

[Steve Hattori]

One of the many mistakes I make every day is trying to select an entity when I have the "window" button right-clicked in the selection drop-down menu...

[Thad]

quote:

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One of the many mistakes I make every day is trying to select an entity when I have the "window" button right-clicked in the selection drop-down menu...

---

Steve,

 

I never touch that dropdown because all I ever use for chaining is full chain, partial chain, single or window. All of these can be accomplished without using the dropdown.

 

Hold down the shift key to select a full chain.

Hold down the shift key and select the first and last entity for a partial chain.

Click and drag if you want a window.

Click an entity if you want single.

 

 

Thad

[Bucky Cornstarch]

Thanks again guys.

 

Thad, you hit the nail on the head. I guess I just didn't know how to properly describe the chain manager. (edit: I just found the AI Utility site. Will this work with X4 as well?)

 

Tyler, no offense taken. One of the reasons this is so frustrating is that I did the online training offered by Streamingteacher, and think I have a pretty good handle on the software. It's just these little things (that should be so simple) that trip me up every once in a while. Overall, X4 is leaps and bounds ahead of V9, as it should be.

[Tyler Robertson]

If you're familiar with V9 (I missed that part) - then yeah it's not much to get caught up in X4.

I just find some people I work with (myself included) would smash their head against the desk until they found.. say, the solids button. haha

[Colin Gilchrist]

Jim,

 

AI Utilities is a great option. Another option is the X+ Utilities, which also has a function that allows you to use the Chaining Dialog box to select geometry...

[Thad]

quote:

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(edit: I just found the AI Utility site. Will this work with X4 as well?)

---

Yes.

 

Thad