Editing Objects with AutoCAD - Section 4

16.2 The use of selection filters

In addition to all of the above, Autocad offers a way to filter objects to form selection groups; that is, it allows defining criteria to select objects according to their type or properties. For example, we can choose all circles (object type) or all objects that have a certain color (property) or those that meet both conditions. We could even create more interesting criteria, such as selecting all the lines that have a certain thickness and, in addition, all the circles that have a certain radius.
In addition, it is possible to record the list of criteria under a certain name so that, when we want to repeat the selection, we simply indicate the name and apply it.
To use the selection filters we suggest defining the criteria first and then applying them during the execution of some editing command. To create the criteria we use the Filter command, in the command window, which will show us a dialog box. Let's see how it is used.

Once the filter is created, we can invoke some editing command, such as Copy, that will ask us to designate the objects. During the execution of the editing command we must write 'filter, which will allow us to select (and apply) the saved filter. Note that the filter does not make the selection itself, but instead applies the filter when the selection is made, for example, with a capture window.

Now, until now we have omitted to mention that in its standard configuration, Autocad allows you to select objects for editing even before executing the commands. The result is the same, only the objects will be highlighted with boxes called grips (which we have already discussed and will study in depth a little later). When we select objects before starting an edit command, then the “Select objects” message is ignored.
Therefore we can use another order to select objects using filters: 1) execute the Filter command to create the criteria or apply the already recorded ones and press “Apply”, 2) open a selection window (implicit or capture) with the confidence of that only the objects that interest us will be selected thanks to the filter and, 3) execute the edition command.
As always, you can use the method that seems most natural to you.

16.3 Quick selection

Finally, another method similar to the previous one is the "Quick Selection" method, which also allows you to create object selection criteria, somewhat simpler than with filtering but, as its name indicates, quickly, although it does not allow you to create lists of objects. criteria or record them. Another of its limitations is that it is not possible to invoke the quick selection during the execution of an editing command, but as already mentioned, we can create a selection set before activating any command, so the result would be the same.
In the “Start” tab, in the “Utilities” section, you will find the “Quick Select” button, you can also type the Select command, or you can even use this same option from the context menu, in any case the dialog box is activated of the same name, where we can choose the type of objects to select, the properties it must have and the values ​​of said properties. For example, we can create a selection set with all circles that have a diameter equal to 50 drawing units, or we can select all circles and then remove from that selection set those with a certain radius.