Select Only dialog box

Choose a button to set the criteria for that type of mask. When you choose a button, the Criteria list displays the related masking possibilities. When you click Point, the point styles used in the current file display in the Criteria list area. To set multiple types of criteria for a mask, select multiple checkboxes.

Entities

Restricts the entities that you can select based on the type of entity. Choosing an entity type in the Criteria list area disables selection of any other type of entity. For example, choosing Wireframe enables you to select points, lines, arcs, and splines but disables the selection of surfaces, solids, and other entity non-wireframe types.

Color

Restricts the entities that you can select based on color. Choosing a color in the Criteria list area disables selection of entities of any other color. For example, choosing red enables you to select any red entity but disables the selection of entities of all other colors.

Level

Restricts the entities that you can select based on the level on which they were created. Choosing a level in the Criteria list area disables selection of entities of any other level. For example, choosing level one enables you to select any entity on that level but disables the selection of entities on all other levels. Levels that are not currently visible are shown in gray.

Width

Restricts the entities that you can select based on line width. Choosing a width in the Criteria list area disables selection of entities created with any other line widths. Line widths that are not currently visible are shown in gray.

Style

Restricts the entities that you can select based on line style. Choosing a line style in the Criteria list area disables selection of entities created with any other line style. Line styles that are not currently visible will be shown in gray.

Point

Restricts the entities that you can select based on point style. Choosing a point style in the Criteria list area disables selection of entities created with any other point style.

Miscellaneous

Restricts entity selection to a specified arc diameter, sweep angle, line length, and/or Z depth. Choosing one or more attributes restricts the selection to only those entities that match the values you set in the diameter, sweep, length, and/or depth fields.

Additionally, you can define the masking criteria of the depth attribute to entities that fall within a range of values. Select Range from the value comparison drop down menu, and enter the minimum and maximum ends of the range into the fields. Your selection will be limited to those entities that fall within this zone. Depth selection is based on the orientation of the Z axis in the current construction plane, relative to the WCS.

This window displays the masking criteria from which you can choose to include in your entity selection mask. The list contents and the control buttons displayed in this area depend on the criteria you selected above.

Select entity

Minimizes the dialog and lets you select a geometric entity in the graphics window. The properties of the entity you choose are entered as selection criteria in the dialog box.

Select all

Selects all the choices displayed in the criteria list.

Clear all

Deselects any choices selected in the criteria list.

Minus

(Levels only) Only uses deselected levels in the masking selection. This is referred to as negative masking. This button and the Plus button are mutually exclusive. In other words, you can only select one or the other.

Plus

(Levels only) Only uses selected levels in the masking selection. This is referred to as positive masking. This button and the Minus button are mutually exclusive. In other words, you can only select one or the other.

Show All

(Color only) Displays all 256 default colors available in Mastercam. This lets you build a mask with colors that are not in the current file.

Plane mask in chaining

Sets the construction plane as the default plane for contiguous entity selection. This is the same as choosing Cplane in the Chaining dialog box. You can override this setting by choosing 3D in the Chaining dialog box.

Ignore depths in chaining

When in 3D mode, selects entities regardless of their Z depth, as long as the endpoints of the entities are within the chaining tolerance in the XY plane. You can define the default startup setting for this parameter on the Chaining property page in the System Configuration dialog box.

Same as

Minimizes the dialog box and lets you select an entity upon which masking criteria is set. As soon as you select an entity, the dialog opens, and all the attributes of the chosen entity are selected in the dialog. The entity's attributes replace any criteria you have already selected. The Same as button sets common (or general) entity attributes from the selection. It ignores the entity attributes listed as Miscellaneous criteria. These attributes--arc diameter, line length, and Z depth--are not included because they are specific to the geometry and not common (or general) attributes. If desired, enter this criteria manually after you use Same as.

Maintain only mask

This option applies the masking criteria set in the Select Only dialog box to the Select All dialog box and enables the Use only mask option in the Select All dialog box. When you select Maintain only mask and click OK, the criteria in the Select Only dialog box is automatically applied in Select All mode. Entities that do not match your criteria cannot be selected.

Save

Saves the current masking criteria as a mask file (.mask) that you can recall in the future.

Open

Opens previously saved mask files (.mask).

Clear All

Clears all items in the current criteria list. Does not effect criteria types not in the active list. (To clear all selection criteria from the Select Only dialog box, click Clear all.)

Select All

Selects all items in the current criteria list. Does not effect criteria types not in the active list.

Select Entity

Returns you to the graphics window where you can choose an entity upon which your selection criteria will be based.

Hover Preview

Displays the following menu from which you can set options to temporarily display different lists depending on which criteria type button you hover your mouse over: