The Selection Filter tool is an important tool in SolidWorks. You may use the Selection Filter to choose particular objects in the graphics area, such as faces, edges, or vertices. They may rapidly go from a helpful tool to a source of annoyance if you mistakenly turn them on and don’t know how to turn them off later. In addition to the Selection Filter toolbar, which controls them, you can use several keyboard shortcuts to toggle the selection filters on and off. This article will explain how to use the SolidWorks selection filter. 

Using the Select Tool

With the viewing tools and drawings, you may use the Select tool to end the command and return to select mode. When not in a command, the default mode is selected. In most circumstances, control immediately switches to the chosen method after you end a command. The pointer can pick things in the graphics area or the FeatureManager design tree while choose mode is activated.

As you move the cursor, dynamic highlighting lets you know which entity is available for selection. You may toggle the dynamic highlighting setting on or off in the Selection Options menu. Click Select to launch the selection mode (Standard toolbar). You can select options by clicking the Select down arrow and selecting an item from the Select flyout menu. You may display the selection context toolbar by performing a right-click on an empty area of the graphics area when working with parts and assemblies. Keep Ctrl held down when picking to choose numerous things. 

How to Use the SolidWorks Selection Filter

You can click Select to launch the selection mode under the Standard toolbar. Selecting options may also be accessed by clicking the Select down arrow and selecting an item from the Select flyout menu. You may display the selection context toolbar by performing a right-click on an empty area of the graphics area when working with parts and assemblies. Keep Ctrl held down when picking to choose numerous things. You may customize the behavior of the Selection Filter by using the buttons on the Selection Filter toolbar:

1. Toggle Chosen Filters: This choice allows you to toggle selected filters on or off. The keyboard shortcut is also available (press F6).
2. Clear All Filters: You may clear all your chosen filters by clicking this button.
3. Pick All Filters: This option may select all filters.
4. Invert Selection: All additional objects comparable to the selected things (for example, faces, edges, and vertices) are chosen, and the original choices are canceled.

The additional buttons on the toolbar for the Selection Filter are filters. Choose the filters that match the graphics area objects you wish to pick.

Filter Axes, Filter Datum Targets, Filter Planes, Filter Cosmetic Threads, Filter Sketch Points, Filter Blocks, Filter Sketches, Filter Vertices, Filter Geometric Tolerances, Filter Edges, Filter Notes/Balloons, Filter Faces, Filter Datum Features, Filter Surface Bodies, Filter Weld Symbols, Filter Solid Bodies, Filter Weld Bead Filter Dowel Pin Symbols; Filter Sketch Segments; Filter Connection Points; Filter Midpoints; Filter Routing Points; Filter Centre Marks; Filter Mesh Facets; Filter Centrelines; Filter Dimensions/Hole Callouts, Filter Mesh Facet Edges. Symbols for the surface finish and facet of the filter mesh.  

There are keyboard shortcuts for various filters, including Edges (E), Faces (X), and Vertices (V).

The pointer moves wherever a selection filter is selected. When the cursor is near an item that has been filtered, such as a face, its icon is shown.

Selection Sets

Selected objects can be added to a model and saved as a selection set. When you click Save Selection in Assemblies, just the selection sets for the assembly display are saved. 

In part models, only the selection settings for the part are displayed. You can expand Selection Sets to see the selection sets in the FeatureManager design tree. Under hiding/showing tree elements in the Tools menu, select Options and navigate to System Options. Under FeatureManager, the automatic display of the Selection Sets folder is enabled. You can move a chosen item from one selection set to another selection set or from the FeatureManager design tree. A part selection set can not be created by dragging elements from an assembly selection set.

Creating or Adding to Selection Sets

You should follow the steps below to create or add to selection sets, which is an important part of learning how to use the SolidWorks selection filter.

1. Select many elements from the FeatureManager design tree or graphics area by opening a model.
2. To save a selection, select it with the right mouse click.
   • Click New Selection Set to add an item to a new set.
   • Click Selection-Set#(##), where # denotes the creation order and ## denotes the set’s total number of elements, to add a new item to an existing cluster. If an item is checked to the left of a selection set, it is a part of that selection set.

3. You can expand selection sets in the FeatureManager design tree to see the selection set.

Updating Entities in a Selection Set

You can update entities in a selection set by following the steps below:

1. Select a selection set from the Selection Sets section of the FeatureManager design tree.
2. Use CTRL + to pick or clear highlighted elements in the graphics area or the FeatureManager design tree.
3. To update the selection set, keep holding down the CTRL key and right-click the objects you’ve chosen. The things that have been selected are added to the selection set.

Removing Selections and Selection Sets

You can remove only one selection from a selection set or the complete selection set from the Selection Sets folder.

Remove the following choices from the selection sets:

1. Select Sets, and the selection set you wish to change by expanding Sets in the FeatureManager design tree.
2. Delete from Selection Set can be selected by right-clicking the selection you want to remove.

To delete a selection set from the Selection Sets folder, follow these steps:

1. It would be best if you expanded selective Sets.
2. You can remove the selection set by selecting it with the right mouse click.

Conclusion

This concludes the article. The SolidWorks feature known as Selection Filters is not the most well-known, but if you are familiar with it, you may be aware of its potential use because it makes day-to-day decisions much easier. Filtering for fillets is also quite practical, and I hope this can help you get started.