Mesh Select Modifier

The Mesh Select modifier lets you pass sub-object selection up the Stack to subsequent modifiers. It provides much of the same selection functions that were previously available in the Edit Mesh modifier. You can select vertices, faces, or edges, and you can change the selection from sub-object level to object level.

Note the following:

• When you apply the Mesh Select modifier, the transform-and-select buttons in the toolbar are disabled, and the Select Object button automatically activated.
• The Mesh Select modifier automatically turns off the Show End Result button, which becomes “spring loaded” while you’re in the modifier.
• Mesh Select stores the current selection in a different way than Edit Mesh did. Thus, if you make a selection, go back to the creation parameters and change the topology, if you then restore the topology to its original state, the selection is also restored. You can see this by creating a sphere with the default 16 segments, then adding a Mesh Select modifier and selecting a pattern of faces. Now, go back to the creation parameters and reduce or increase the number of segments, thus changing the selected faces. Finally, return the Segments to 16, and the original selection pattern is restoredwhich would not be the case in the Edit Mesh modifier. Note, however, that if you alter the topology, and then return to the Mesh Select modifier and change the selection pattern, you’ve just created a new selection pattern, replacing the old one.

After applying a Mesh Select modifier, you can change selections at the following levels.

Reference

Object-Level Selection: When the Mesh Select modifier is applied, it’s set to Sub-Object/Face level by default. Turn off the Sub-Object button to restore the selection to the full object, and pass that selection up the Stack.

The Object Level has no other parameters or functions.

Face-Level Selection

At this level, you can select faces and pass that selection up the Stack. Face-Level selection provides the same selection controls as the Editable Mesh. In addition are two buttons:

Get Vertex Selection: Click this to select faces based on the last vertex selection. This selects all faces shared by any selected vertex. The selection is added to the current selection.

Get Edge Selection: Click this to select faces based on the last edge selection. This selects those faces that contain the edge.

Additional controls let you select faces based on their material ID. Set the Material ID spinner to the ID number you want to select, and then click the Select By Material ID button. Press CTRL while clicking the button to add to the current selection, or press ALT to remove from the current selection.

Vertex-Level Selection

At this level, you can select vertices using the Select Object tool in the usual way. There are two buttons at this level.

Get Face Selection: Click this to select vertices based on the last face selection. This selection is added to the current selection.

Get Edge Selection: Click this to select vertices based on the last edge selection.

Edge-Level Selection

At this level, you can select edges using the Select Object tool in the usual way. Besides the Copy and Paste buttons are the following:

Get Vertex Selection : Click this to select edges based on the last vertex selection. This selection is added to the current selection.

Get Face Selection : Click this to select additional edges based on the last face selection.

Select Open Edges : Click this to select all edges with only one face. In most objects, this will effectively show you where missing faces exist.

How To

Generally, To use the Mesh Select modifier:

1. Create an mesh object
2. Select Mesh Select in the Modify panel.
3. Select vertices, faces, or edges.