Like for Osnap (Object Snap tips & tricks) selection tool sometimes can be taken for granted. But, it can save your life, not to mention it can speed things up, and that is the most important thing, after learning modeling

Ok, check out the video guide. Please note, this is my first audio recording, so I was a bit confused and I just woke up

[flashvideo filename=http://www.rhino3dhelp.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/selection/select.flv /]

Ok, now that you have seen the video, it is time we explain some things

If you start the selection rectangle from left to right (it doesn’t matter if you go up or down, just left to right for solid rectangle, and right to left for dashed rectangle) you will select all objects inside that rectangle, but only those that are in its entirety inside the select rectangle. So letters P, a, r, a and d will be selected, as well as two little Points. The letter i and its dot, square and circle will not be selected because those aren’t inside the selection rectangle.

But, if you start your selection rectangle from right to left, you will see a dashed rectangle being drawn.

This way, you select everything that is even partially inside that dashed rectangle. So, in the above picture, we would select letters a, d, i, s and e, and also the triangle, polygon, circle and closed curve, and also some of our points…

Adding to and removing from selection

You can also add or remove from selection. If you hold down SHIFT key, and click on objects one at the time (or by selection rectangle) you will add to selection, and if you hold down CTRL key you will remove from selection selected objects. Pretty simple, huh?

Selection toolbar

You also have your own selection toolbar, in which you have various commands for selecting objects in your document.

So, one of the most used (at least most used by me) are, select all (which is the default one for the button) deselect all, invert, select points, select curves… You will find almost all of these very useful, it is only the question how often will you use them, and it is important to remember them when you need them

I sure know I’m one of them.

Imagine you are working on some sort of technical project, I don’t know, you are designing a house, or making some sort of technical documentation for any kind of object. How would you feel if you had to do final documentation and blueprints without a ruler, compass, set square… Pretty impossible, right? Well, this is the same thing about Osnap. If you never use it, it is impossible to model accurate models.

You will find yourself in situations where osnap will simply get in your way, so you can disable or enable it at your will.

Maybe to better understand, I will first explain what Snap is. Some of you who are new to modeling in general, probably don’t know what snap is. So here it is. Snapping is simply a helper for accuracy. Notice how my cursors kind of stickies for the grid intersections? Well, thats it!

[flashvideo filename=http://www.rhino3dhelp.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/osnap.flv /]

By default after installing a fresh copy of your Rhinoceros the Osnap toolbar is disabled. You simply click on Osnap in the bottom toolbar to open it. Now, you have all sorts of options for Osnap, and one of them is Disable. Naturally, if the check box is checked, then it is Disabled, if not, it is Enabled.

Ok, I’ll explain each option our OSnap has.

End

When this is checked, your cursor snaps to the end of all objects, lines, edges, surfaces…

Near

When this is checked, your cursor snaps near any object. That means you can create lines on other edges, or anywhere where some other object already resides.

Point

Snaps to Point objects only.

Mid

Snaps to middle of lines, curves, edges.

Cen

Snaps to center of an object, usually if you have some curvy objects, it determines where the center of it is. Center of arc, circle, or similar.

Int

Snaps on intersection of objects. Lines and edges usually.

Perp

If you want to start (or end) a line but make it perpendicular to some reference line, this is what you need.

Tan

If you are creating a line that needs to be tangent on circle or similar, this is it.

Quad

Snaps to quads.

Knot

Snaps to knots.