Applies To
	Product(s):	STAAD.Pro
	Version(s):	All
	Environment:	N/A
	Area:	STAAD.Pro Modeling Solutions
	Subarea:	Modeling
	Original Author:	Phil Riegel, Bentley Technical Support Group

 How to use the tools under the Select tab to more efficiently highlight the entities in your model.

In Analytical Modeling the Select tab can be found at the top of the screen as seen below:

Underneath is a variety of tools that can be used to select nodes, beams, plates, or solids. 

On the left-hand side are the Cursor options--you can choose the one you want depending on the type of entity you wish to select (the "Geometry" cursor is not restricted to any one type and can highlight nodes, beams, plates, or solids.) 

To the right you'll notice separate sections for Geometry, Nodes, Beams, Plates, and Solids, each containing tools for highlighting those entities, as described below:

All - Selects every entity of that type on screen. 

Inverse - If certain entities are already highlighted, this tool inverts the selection (i.e., the selected members are un-selected and the un-selected members selected.)  

List - Opens a dialog box in which you can manually specify the entity numbers to be selected.

Supports - Selects all nodes assigned supports.  

Parallel - For beams this tool can be used to highlight members parallel to any of the global axes: X, Y, or Z.  Expand the menu downward to choose axis you wish to use.  For plates this tool allows you to select plates aligned with any of the global planes: XY, YZ, or XZ (the menu can similarly be expanded downward to choose.)

Connected - Selects all entities connected to a user-specified node, beam, plate, or solid.  Simply expand the menu downward, choose the entity type, and in the dialog box that appears input the desired entity number.  For example, suppose you have a model in which you'd like to highlight all beams connected to node 100.  You would go to the Beams section, expand the Connected menu downward, click on Nodes, and then enter the number 100 in the dialog box that pops up.  When you click the Select button in that dialog box the members will become highlighted on screen.

Continuing to the right is the Filter section.  To use it first expand the Filter menu downward and choose Configure Filter.  A dialog box will appear where you can check the box of the entity you wish to select, then use the Section and/or Material menu to identify which ones you want to use as the filtering criteria:

Click OK, expand the Filter menu downward once more, click on Selection Filter, and finalize the process by using the cursor to drag a box over your structure.  The entities within that box will be selectively highlighted according to the filter criteria.  

The next section is called Attributes, and it contains several of the more useful tools in the graphical user interface:

 

If you have defined groups in your model, clicking on Group allows you to select the entities associated with any one of them quickly. 

Expand the Property Name menu downward and you'll see the following list of options:

Click on any one of these to select the entities in your model corresponding to that property.  

Lastly, the Missing Property tool can be used to easily select and identify entities that lack section properties or certain material properties.  Expand the menu downward and choose which property you wish to check.  Any entities that have not been assigned that property will become highlighted on screen.