Thanks for the compliment, Axel. The theme now has a new add-on to support Max Smirnov's Custom UI better. In case you use that mod, that is.

I'd rather have MoI's clean interface and work flow than a something like *cough* Blender *cough*. You'll figure out a work flow that suites your needs and it will become second nature after a short while. Once you've created a part, that might even use multiple colours, select it all carefully and give it a useful name. Then you'll always be able to hide and show it on a whim. Also, I typically model interior surfaces one colour and the exterior another. Then I can hide and show the shell and work on the interior stuff more easily and vice versa. I'll even duplicate full shapes before I do any boolean operations, just in case if I need to change the master shape after the fact and redo the boolean again. I put those "master" objects on their own colour so I can easily retrieve them, but keep them hidden while I work. Food for thought.

----------

Thanks for the clarification on how to use filters, Michael. A powerful hidden feature. I like those. It's like when you've mastered the surface features of MoI, you begin to ask the right questions and, sure enough, you've got a solution already to go on these forums. By keeping these more powerful features hidden, you keep your software more accessible. It's a necessary evil and I love it.

There's a game design book called the A Theory of Fun. It postulates that fun comes from learning. When you play a game, it has to teach you something or reveal some new understanding in order to continue to be fun. I feel the same way about MoI. You can immediately start making stuff and mucking around, but there's more to it than meets the eye. When I learn how to do something else with MoI, it's typically really simple and then my learning brain parts are tickled and I find myself having legitimate fun while working with your software. Those Aha! moments are pure gold. I keep reading in these forums that people are having fun using your software... and I don't think it's quite as figurative as one might think.

-- Cody

"""""The issue I have when I select with a selection window from left to right is that I cannot select if a surface is below. """"""

There is a key modifier that stops the "pick selection" that creates this interference.

I think it is "ctrl+shift" (not at my computer)

Then, only window selection works....

This can help in the situation you are describing...

Thanks, BurrMan!

That was what I was trying to ask about earlier, but my memory was too vague to convey it properly. But now I know about custom filters AND turning off the auto-picking when mouse clicking.

And yes, it's CTRL + SHIFT.

-- Cody

Hi Cody,

> Thanks for the clarification on how to use filters, Michael. A powerful hidden feature. I like those. It's
> like when you've mastered the surface features of MoI, you begin to ask the right questions and, sure
> enough, you've got a solution already to go on these forums. By keeping these more powerful features
> hidden, you keep your software more accessible. It's a necessary evil and I love it.

Thanks Cody! And yup this is the strategy for MoI. There are some good parts and bad parts to it. One of the good parts is it makes for a lower learning curve for beginners and helps a beginner move to an advanced user more gradually.

One of the bad parts is that often advanced users will take a quick look at it and decide "it's a toy".

Something that makes it work well is some stuff that benefits beginning users like having a streamlined workflow and less steps also benefits advanced users who value speed.

- Michael

Thank you!! That is another trick I use from now on and I am glad that I learned this today :-) I think with this and the other methods you gents brought up here in this thread I am fine regarding selecting hidden lines :)

Cheers,

Axel