Volumetric select, or select enclosed volume

I was wondering, is there any way to select a part of a connected geometry, if it is obviously a separate enclosed volume?

I made a video example below. Note how cylinder was created as stacked, but it is able to move independently, and after move out and back in, I’m able to triple-click-select it. But it is not true for the box.

I understand that I could create those as separate components, so it probably would help. But I have a group that I’ve already created without this thought. And now to separate a volume from it, I need to tediously select one-by-one all edges and faces, including hidden ones. And if I miss even one, all will get toast.

So a way for such a selection would be useful.

Orbit to the top view and drag a left to right selection box around the inner one. But if that geometry is already connected to the larger box you would at least need to group the smaller box to separate it from the larger one or you’ll distort the large one. Better to use the proper work flow of creating groups or components of the discrete parts to avoid the welding together of geometry.

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Thanks. I was able to select with a selection box. Funny enough, when I cut it from group it was 18 entities (that you expect from a box with 6 faces and 12 edges). But when it was pasted outside of a group, it had only 14. Still, a group from it was made just fine, and upon creation it had 18 entities. I guess it borrowed those from other object it connects upon paste…

And of course, it leaved a hole in the group, where it was connected to, and I was to heal it manually.

My resume: it is a lot happening under a hood of Sketchup, that is unexpected for a novice user.

Still, I wonder, how the cylinder behaved so nice, and is there some trick or plugin to make such a behavior possible for other objects.

There are lots of instructional resources available that are designed to help the novice learn how to use the features of SketchUp correctly. You could start with learn.sketchup.com and the Square One videos on the YouTube SketchUp Channel.

Even though you are using SketchUp as hobby, it’s worth learning how to use the tools correctly and develop proper and efficient workflow to save you confusion and trouble.

If you create the same type of geometry (Soft and Smooth vertical edges), regardless of shape, it will behave the same when you select it and move it

faces-05

But follow Dave’s advice and learn the basics of SketchUp.

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