Select objects through transparency

What setting have you got under;

File > Settings > User > Preferences > Input > Locate Interiors 

In v8i the default was Never, and in connect it seems to be  Visible

Thanks - I've now tried all options; Never/ Visible/ Always.

Never; will not select anything inside the glass box (no matter how far in I zoom)

Visible; First attempt at a tentative snap always shoots to a keypoint on the edge of the glass box, second attempt will select the object I want.

Always; same as Visible.

v8i quickly and accurately selects the geometry I want - something must be wrong with my CE settings, or is this standard behavior in CE. I really hope not.

By the way - it something wrong with the Communities site? Posts take several minutes to load.

Related to this - in v8i I can snap to the point where I know there is a vertex in the geometry (even though it is obscured).

In CONNECT, I'm not able to do this - have to rotate the object and snap on that vertex only when visible.

in v8i was INPUT options

Locate Interiors: Never / Rendered or Filled / Rendered / Filled / Always.

As far as I remember in CE the settings are the same.

Mstn behave that is you have visible filled surface it will treat it as non transparent, and to get behind that surface you MUST be behind that surface.

Another words: a) try to use Wireframe style to get to the points / edges

b) try to use camera focus distance stings relatively short, and set "move the camera" with view settings dialogs (see Zoom tools settings dialog).

With short focus distance you may move the camera behind the main object and be able to get to the object behind the main object.

c) when you select the close object to you as first, make right click, then Mstn will try to select the object right behind it.

Hope that helps.

Personally, when modelling, I try to use 3D Connection mouse for navigation around the model, and for the selection: I use different views with combination of clip volume or Display set items.

Nope it helps.

Thanks for your reply, but my problem remains.

CE's preference settings are different (offering fewer options), but I've set both to be "Never". Your suggestion that I "MUST be behind that surface" is incorrect because I'm able to snap to hidden vertices in v8i, and have always done so.

Using Wireframe is not practical for complex models - I work in Illustration mostly. It worked perfectly in v8i - so I don't want to change my workflows. Constantly rotating my models to see geometry on the other side is not practical when I know a vertex is there and I want to snap to it.

Focus distance and camera settings are not relevant to the problem - this applies to any type of view (close/ far/ wide angle/ isometric).

My right-click is for datapoint reset - do you mean scrolling through tentative datapoints to find alternative geometry? I've set that to Alt>Data (never understood how anyone could the left/right chord as a tentative datapoint).

I also use the 3D Connexion mouse, but mostly for setting up rendering views in Microstation, and always in LumenRT and Google Earth. View Rotate around a vertex is far more accurate and efficient for general 3D modeling.

Here again is a summary of the issues - CE is not usable for me in these current circumstances. Again, hoping someone could help change that.

Max

In CE I have set my "Locate Interiors" option to "Always" and it does find points hidden on the other side of shaded geometry, but you have to tentative several times to "drill" through the object. Something has has changed from v8i as it seem to order the "drilling" by "depth", and not "point closest too", the tentative point.

However also look at UN-TICKING the:  AccuSnap settings box  > Elements > Find Elements By: > Interior of Filled Elements

Hi Max,

in my opinion, what mentioned Robert Jones should solve the problem: In AccuSnap Settings dialog, to switch off Find Elements By: Interior of Filled Elements.

With regards,

  Jan

Hi Max,

in my opinion, what mentioned Robert Jones should solve the problem: In AccuSnap Settings dialog, to switch off Find Elements By: Interior of Filled Elements.

With regards,

  Jan

Thanks for your responses Robert & Jan. Switching off AccuSnap settings box  > Elements > Find Elements By: > Interior of Filled Elements has made no difference.

You're right - something has changed. With Locate Interiors set to Always, I can indeed tentative "drill" through objects to select the geometry I want - but it's so much more cumbersome than the v8i approach.

That partially solves my first problem, but it still doesn't allow me to rotate the view around a selected point. I have to switch off the layer showing the transparent box (assuming it's on it's own layer) before I can snap to exposed geometry to rotate a view about a point. This is seriously regressive to the way I work.

Max Voigt said:

Switching off AccuSnap settings box  > Elements > Find Elements By: > Interior of Filled Elements has made no difference.

It's weird, because with this setting switched off, AccuSnap identifies boxes inside transparent cube without any problem.

MicroStation CE U14, Windows 10, AMD Radeon RX5700.

Works both in Visible and Always modes and also both in Transparent and Illustration renderings.

With regards,

  Jan

Thanks again for your help, Jan.

Accusnap actually does find those boxes for me (as shown in your version), but without Accusnap; to draw a line from the corner of one of them I have to tentative snap multiple times before getting to the point I want (Locate Interior Always).I generally don't use Accusnap - I know the point I want to snap to and don't need an automated point finder.

For Rotate View (with Accusnap enabled or not enabled), it won't snap to anything inside the big transparent box - just its edges.

You've added your specs - could it be related to software/ hardware spec? (although I've tested on a lower spec laptop, with the same problems)

Microstation CE 10.14.00.109, Windows 10 Pro Build 18363, Quadro M4000

Max Voigt said:

could it be related to software/ hardware spec?

It can be, but I do not think so.

I also tested the same design file on Surface Book 2 with Nvidia GTX 1050 (to try to use something else than AMD) and it works fine also.

Can it be a file-specific? The file from my example (it's a kind of temporary trash like file ;-) is attached.

Regards,

  Jan

work3d.dgn

Thanks for your sample file - the behavior is the same on yours as it is on mine (attached). It did cross my mind that my file (built in v8i) could be the problem, but it doesn't seem to be the case.

Are you able to Rotate View Dynamic > Define First Point > tentative on any of the cubes inside the glass box (either of our two files)?

Try also to select the yellow line in my file, by directly clicking on it. It works in v8i, but not in CE.

select through transparency.dgn