Filters

You can use the Filter options to select the types of filters that will be used to select specific objects in the query. The filters that are available depend on the types of filters that you have selected previously.

For example, if you have already selected a filter based on Object Name, and specified an object name, the filter All Objects is no longer available.

The filter options are as follows:

Filter

Functional Description

Object

Maintains object options for filtering
  • All Objects: All objects match this filter. This is commonly used for hiding or showing or unselecting all objects.

  • Name: All objects that contain the object name entered, match this filter

  • ID: Sets filters relating to Asset and Instance IDs. All objects that contain the SAP 3D Visual Enterprise Generator allocated Asset ID or Instance ID match this filter

  • Properties: Selects filters relating to an object's properties
    • Selected: Only selected objects match this filter

    • Visible: Only visible objects match this filter

    • Highlighted: Only highlighted objects match this filter

    • Suppressed: All objects marked as suppressed match this filter. If a node is ‘suppressed’, none of its children exist in the scene. They are loaded on demand from VDS when this node is resumed later. None of the children of a suppressed node are processed with any filters, but the filter still runs for the node itself. This is done so that it is possible to find such suppressed nodes with a query, and resume them. Children of a suppressed node are not displayed in scene BOM either. The suppressed node is displayed as grey in BOM.

    • Group: Selects objects that are groups. Groups do not have a mesh object, or drawable geometry.

    • Matched Previous Statement: Selects objects matched in the previous statement

    • Mark: All objects that are set to 'Marked' match this filter. The idea of marking an object is like selecting it, but silently. The mark on the object is maintained, so that you can test for it later. The marks are not saved with the file. They are active only during the current session. There are six available marking options.

    • Edit Marks: Opens the Flag Names window, and is used to enter custom names for the Mark fields

  • Number of: Selects filters relating to number of children, polygons, or vertices
    • Children: The number of children that a node has

    • Polygons: The number of polygons that the node's object has. If the node is not an object, the value is 0.

    • Vertices: The number of vertices that the node's object has. If node is not an object, the value is 0.

  • Size: Specifies a size for a bounding box in the scene. You can select an exact size, or choose to grow the box to a specified size by using the following options:.
    • Bounding box width

    • Bounding box height

    • Bounding box depth

    • Bounding box diagonal

    • Bounding box volume

    Other: Selects additional filters
    • Level of Hierarchy: All objects at a specified level of hierarchy match the filter. Top level objects have level=1.

    • Opacity: Specifies the opacity of the objects to be selected. Opacity is the opposite of transparency. As you reduce the opacity value, the object becomes more transparent.

    • Using Material: Opens the Select Material window, and is used to specify a specific object material

    • Included in Layer: Opens the Select Layer window, and is used to specify a specific layer in which the object exists

    • Included in XML List: Opens the Select XML List window, and is used to specifiy parts that are included in a previously saved XML list

Metadata/VE ID

Opens the Metadata VE/ID window, and allows you to select from specific object metadata for query filters.

Spatial

Maintains spatial filters
  • Not in the Region: Selects objects that are NOT in the defined bounding box. This option effectively adds 'Not' to a filter.

  • Type: Specifies the type of spatial query
    • Selected Objects: Specifies selected objects that can match each by themselves, or combine to form a single bounding box. Selecting this option makes the further options 'Regions' 'Grow Region' and 'Crossing' available.

    • Bounding Box: Specifies the x, y, and z, min and max values for a specific bounding box in the scene. You can modify the six values to change the dimensions of the box for your query. Selecting this option also makes the further options Grow Region and Crossing available.

  • Contour: Matches the triangles of selected objects against other objects in the scene, effectively enquiring as to whether two objects touch. A tolerance can be added to specify that two objects must be within a specified number of scene units of one another. Selecting this option also makes the further option Grow Region available.

  • Regions: Specifies the number of regions, and is used to set the way in which the regions are selected.
    • Combined: Tests all of the bounding boxes of selected objects by merging them together into a minimum box that totally encloses all the boxes. The merged box is tested against the objects during statement evaluation.

    • Separate: Tests one or more bounding boxes of selected objects. If any test succeeds, the whole test is positive.

  • Grow Region: Specifies a size for a bounding box in the scene. You can select an exact size, or choose to grow the box to a specified size, determined by either scene units, or percentage of the diagonal value

  • Crossing: Sets the match to occur for objects that touch or cross through the specified box, or parts that are wholly contained in the box.

Number is in Range

Selects objects from within a range