COMSOL 6.2 - Selecting and Clearing Selection of Geometric Entities

Table 6-3: Different ways to select geometric entities.
Task	Action
Select any level of geometry:	In The Graphics Window, click the geometric entity to add it to an active selection list in the current node’s Settings window. Open The Selection List Window and click entity numbers (or names); then click the Add to Selection button () to add it to an active selection list in the current node’s Settings window. You can also add an entity to an active selection list in the current node’s Settings window by double-clicking it or by right-clicking it and selecting Add to Selection.
Select all parts of the geometry:	In most Settings windows’ selection sections, the option to select All domains, All boundaries, All edges, or All points adds all geometric entities of that type to the list of selected entities. The selected items are highlighted in the Graphics window and all entities are kept selected, even if the geometry changes. Open The Selection List Window and use the Shift or Ctrl keys to select all of the entity names (or numbers). You can also click the main geometry node to select all entities that the node includes. Then click the Add to Selection button () to add it to an active selection list in the current node’s Settings window. In the Graphics window, click the Select All button ( in 3D), or click outside of the geometry or press Ctrl+A to select all entities. For Windows users, a Select All button is available on a customized Quick Access Toolbar. For macOS and Linux users, from the main menu select Edit>Select All. This highlights and selects all entities but does not confirm the selection or lock it if the model changes.
Clear the selection of all parts of the geometry not added to a selection list:	In the Graphics window, click the Clear Selection button (), or click outside of the geometry or press Ctrl+D to clear all selected entities. For Windows users, a Clear Selection button is available on a customized Quick Access Toolbar. For macOS and Linux users, from the main menu select Edit>Clear Selection.
Move, rotate, and then select (3D only):	Multiple mouse actions can be done together. For example, use the mouse to rotate or move the object left and right to locate the geometric entity to add to a selection list; then click to add to the selection.
Lock the geometry selection settings during selection:	In the Graphics window, click the Disable Mouse Selection button (). Then no clicks in the graphics highlight or select any geometric entities, which makes it possible to move and rotate the geometry freely.
Add to Selection :	In the Graphics window, click a red highlighted entity to add it and make it blue. Or select one or more geometric entities and click the Add to Selection button. In the Selection List window, select the entity names to add, and click the Add to Selection button. You can also paste selections from a file. See Copying and Pasting Selection Lists for information. For user-defined selections this action must be completed on the selection page. See Create an Explicit Selection from the Selection List Window for information.
Select Box :	To select multiple parts of the geometry, in the Graphics window, click the Select Box list and choose Entity Intersects () or Entity Inside () (the default); then click and hold the left mouse button to draw a box over the geometry. The cursor changes its look to for Entity Intersects and for Entity Inside. It is like a “rubberband,” selecting all entities intersected (if you have selected Entity Intersects) or enclosed (if you have selected Entity Inside) by this operation. Using the Entity Intersects can make it easier to select entities that are hard to fully enclose. The selected geometric entities are added to the selection list. If you select Keep Enabled After Use from the Select Box list, you can continue to select entities using a box selection in the Graphics window. In the Selection List window, use the Shift or Ctrl keys to select the entity names (or numbers). Click the Add to Selection button.
Deselect Box :	To deselect multiple parts of the geometry, in the Graphics window, click the Deselect Box list and choose Entity Intersects () or Entity Inside () (the default); then click and hold the left mouse button to draw a box over the geometry. The cursor changes its look to for Entity Intersects and for Entity Inside. It is like a “rubberband,” deselecting all entities intersected (if you have selected Entity Intersects) or enclosed (if you have selected Entity Inside) by this operation. Using the Entity Intersects can make it easier to deselect entities that are hard to fully enclose. The deselected geometric entities are removed from the selection list. If you select Keep Enabled After Use from the Deselect Box list, you can continue to deselect entities using a box selection in the Graphics window. In the Selection List window, use the Shift or Ctrl keys to select the entity names (or numbers). Click the Remove from Selection button.
Select Objects: 3D 2D 1D	In the Graphics window, click the Select Objects button (click the down arrow to choose this option, or click again on the button if it shows a selection for another geometric entity type). Click to select the geometry object and add it to the selection list.
Select Domains: 3D 2D 1D	In the Graphics window, click the Select Domains button (click the down arrow to choose this option, or click again on the button if it shows a selection for another geometric entity type). Click to select the domains and add it to the selection list. In the Settings window, select Domain from a Geometric entity level list and then click in the Graphics window. Only domains are highlighted.
Select Boundaries: 3D 2D 1D	In the Graphics window, click the Select Boundaries button (click the down arrow to choose this option, or click again on the button if it shows a selection for another geometric entity type). Click to select the boundary and add it to the selection list. In the Settings window, select Boundary from a Geometric entity level list and then click in the Graphics window. Only boundaries are highlighted.
Select Edges :	In the Graphics window, click the Select Edges button (click the down arrow to choose this option, or click again on the button if it shows a selection for another geometric entity type). Click to select the edge and add it to the selection list. In the Settings window, select Edge from a Geometric entity level list and then click in the Graphics window. Only edges are highlighted.
Select Points: 3D 2D	In the Graphics window, click the Select Points button (click the down arrow to choose this option, or click again on the button if it shows a selection for another geometric entity type). Click to select the point and add it to the selection list. In the Settings window, select Point from a Geometric entity level list and then click in the Graphics window. Only points are highlighted.
Group by Continuous Tangent: 3D and 2D	Turn on Group by Continuous Tangent to extend the selection of boundaries and edges (3D only) to all adjacent boundaries and edges that have continuous tangent. In the Graphics window, click the down arrow next to the Select Boundaries/Edges button or right-click in the Graphics window and select Group by Continuous Tangent. Entities with continuous tangent are highlighted red/green when hovering with the mouse cursor over them. Entities are considered to have continuous tangent if the angle between them is less than the specified tolerance.
Group by Continuous Tangent Tolerance: 3D and 2D	Modify the Group by Continuous Tangent Tolerance to control which entities to group together when Group by Continuous Tangent is turned on. Values between 0 and 180 degrees are supported (default: 5 degrees). In the Graphics window, click the down arrow next to the Select Boundaries/Edges button or right-click in the Graphics window and select Group by Continuous Tangent Tolerance. Also available as a Preferences setting.
Disable Mouse Selection: 3D 2D 1D	In the Graphics window, select Disable Mouse Selection from the Select Domains (for example) list to turn off all selections so that you can click in the Graphics window to move or rotate the geometry, for example, without adding any object or entity to a selection.
Select All :	In the Graphics window, click the Select All button to select all objects or entities.
Remove from Selection :	In the list, mark the geometric entity and click the Remove from Selection button. In the Graphics window, click to highlight and select the geometric entity to remove. Any blue geometric entity turns gray to indicate it is removed from the selection. In the Selection List window, use the Shift or Ctrl keys to select the entity names to remove. Click the Remove from Selection button. For user-defined selections this action must be completed on the selection page. See Create an Explicit Selection from the Selection List Window for information.
Clear Selection :	Click the Clear Selection button to clear all selections from the selection list. For user-defined selections this action must be completed on the selection page. See Create an Explicit Selection from the Selection List Window for information.
Activate Selection :	Activate a selection into the selection list in the Settings window where this button appears. If it is turned off, you instead make a preselection.
Contextual Hover Effect	In the Graphics window, select Contextual Hover Effect from the Select Domains (for example) list to highlight neighboring parts of the geometry that belongs to the same object that you hover on. For example, if you hover on a boundary in 3D, the neighboring domain will be highlighted to make it easier to set up pairs, for example, where you have to be able to select the correct boundary when there are two coincident boundaries in the same place. The Contextual Hover Effect is also available in 1D () and 2D () so that you can more easily determine which of two coinciding geometrical entities that you hover on.

Table 6-3: Different ways to select geometric entities.

In The Graphics Window, click the geometric entity to add it to an active selection list in the current node’s Settings window.

Open The Selection List Window and click entity numbers (or names); then click the button (

) to add it to an active selection list in the current node’s Settings window. You can also add an entity to an active selection list in the current node’s Settings window by double-clicking it or by right-clicking it and selecting .

Select all parts of the geometry:

In most windows’ selection sections, the option to select , , , or adds all geometric entities of that type to the list of selected entities. The selected items are highlighted in the window and all entities are kept selected, even if the geometry changes.

Open The Selection List Window and use the Shift or Ctrl keys to select all of the entity names (or numbers). You can also click the main geometry node to select all entities that the node includes. Then click the button (

) to add it to an active selection list in the current node’s window.

In the window, click the button (

in 3D), or click outside of the geometry or press Ctrl+A to select all entities. For Windows users, a button is available on a customized Quick Access Toolbar. For macOS and Linux users, from the main menu select . This highlights and selects all entities but does not confirm the selection or lock it if the model changes.

Clear the selection of all parts of the geometry not added to a selection list:

In the window, click the button (

), or click outside of the geometry or press Ctrl+D to clear all selected entities. For Windows users, a button is available on a customized Quick Access Toolbar. For macOS and Linux users, from the main menu select .

Move, rotate, and then select (3D only):

Multiple mouse actions can be done together. For example, use the mouse to rotate or move the object left and right to locate the geometric entity to add to a selection list; then click to add to the selection.

Lock the geometry selection settings during selection:

In the window, click the button (

). Then no clicks in the graphics highlight or select any geometric entities, which makes it possible to move and rotate the geometry freely.

Add to Selection

In the window, click a red highlighted entity to add it and make it blue. Or select one or more geometric entities and click the button.

In the window, select the entity names to add, and click the button.

You can also paste selections from a file. See Copying and Pasting Selection Lists for information.

For user-defined selections this action must be completed on the selection page. See Create an Explicit Selection from the Selection List Window for information.

Select Box

To select multiple parts of the geometry, in the window, click the list and choose (

) or (

) (the default); then click and hold the left mouse button to draw a box over the geometry. The cursor changes its look to

for and

for . It is like a “rubberband,” selecting all entities intersected (if you have selected ) or enclosed (if you have selected ) by this operation. Using the can make it easier to select entities that are hard to fully enclose. The selected geometric entities are added to the selection list. If you select from the list, you can continue to select entities using a box selection in the window.

In the window, use the Shift or Ctrl keys to select the entity names (or numbers). Click the button.

Deselect Box

To deselect multiple parts of the geometry, in the window, click the list and choose (

) or (

) (the default); then click and hold the left mouse button to draw a box over the geometry. The cursor changes its look to

for and for

. It is like a “rubberband,” deselecting all entities intersected (if you have selected ) or enclosed (if you have selected ) by this operation. Using the can make it easier to deselect entities that are hard to fully enclose. The deselected geometric entities are removed from the selection list. If you select from the list, you can continue to deselect entities using a box selection in the window.

In the window, use the Shift or Ctrl keys to select the entity names (or numbers). Click the button.

Select Objects:

In the window, click the button (click the down arrow to choose this option, or click again on the button if it shows a selection for another geometric entity type). Click to select the geometry object and add it to the selection list.

Select Domains:

In the window, select from a list and then click in the window. Only domains are highlighted.

Select Boundaries:

In the window, select from a list and then click in the window. Only boundaries are highlighted.

Select Edges

In the window, select from a list and then click in the window. Only edges are highlighted.

Select Points:

In the window, select from a list and then click in the window. Only points are highlighted.

Group by Continuous Tangent:

3D and 2D

Turn on to extend the selection of boundaries and edges (3D only) to all adjacent boundaries and edges that have continuous tangent. In the window, click the down arrow next to the button or right-click in the window and select . Entities with continuous tangent are highlighted red/green when hovering with the mouse cursor over them. Entities are considered to have continuous tangent if the angle between them is less than the specified tolerance.

Group by Continuous Tangent Tolerance:

3D and 2D

Modify the to control which entities to group together when is turned on. Values between 0 and 180 degrees are supported (default: 5 degrees). In the window, click the down arrow next to the button or right-click in the window and select . Also available as a setting.

Disable Mouse Selection:

In the window, select from the (for example) list to turn off all selections so that you can click in the Graphics window to move or rotate the geometry, for example, without adding any object or entity to a selection.

Select All

In the window, click the button to select all objects or entities.

Remove from Selection

In the list, mark the geometric entity and click the button.

In the window, click to highlight and select the geometric entity to remove. Any blue geometric entity turns gray to indicate it is removed from the selection.

In the window, use the Shift or Ctrl keys to select the entity names to remove. Click the button.

For user-defined selections this action must be completed on the selection page. See Create an Explicit Selection from the Selection List Window for information.

Clear Selection

Click the button to clear all selections from the selection list.

For user-defined selections this action must be completed on the selection page. See Create an Explicit Selection from the Selection List Window for information.

Activate Selection

Activate a selection into the selection list in the window where this button appears. If it is turned off, you instead make a preselection.

Contextual Hover Effect

In the window, select from the (for example) list to highlight neighboring parts of the geometry that belongs to the same object that you hover on. For example, if you hover on a boundary in 3D, the neighboring domain will be highlighted to make it easier to set up pairs, for example, where you have to be able to select the correct boundary when there are two coincident boundaries in the same place. The is also available in 1D (

) and 2D (

) so that you can more easily determine which of two coinciding geometrical entities that you hover on.