[Problem] Adjacent edge (edge loop) selection

[X-Ryl669]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

Problem description

When selecting edges for filleting or chamfering, it's a tedious "1px hit process". It's even harder with HiDpi screen.

I was wondering if it was possible to add a feature / button or shortcut to select adjacent edge to the last selected one that lies on the same plane. Typically, when you're selecting the edges of some face, you will follow selecting the next sibling edge and you'll usually keep selecting the edges on the same plane. The process will stop when it reaches the first selected edge (full connectivity).

Typically the process will be:

1. You select the first edge

2. You click the button/press the shortcut

3. The algorithm will select the next edge, like this:
   

4. And so on until all edges are selected:
   

5. The example I've chosen is ambiguous, since the algorithm could have selected this edge instead to continue:
   
   The ambiguity can be removed if we started by the round edge (since any sampling of 3 points the edge gives a plane that we can use as a selection filter for edges), or by selecting edges manually until there's an non zero angle between their directions.

Another possibility is to select one edge, then the face that's normal to the edge and that will select all connected edges that lies on that face and touch the previous selection, iteratively until the next edge is the one you started selecting from.
A bit like this:

1. You select the first edge
2. You press the shortcut or the button and then select the face you want the selection to happen on:
   
3. The algorithm is then able to select all edge successively that touch the previous selected edge and lies on the selected plane
   

It would be a huge time saver and UX improvement.

Full version info

0.21.2

Subproject(s) affected?

None

Anything else?

No response

Code of Conduct

• I agree to follow this project's Code of Conduct

[Syres916]

Loop selection has already been added to the 0.22dev builds #11925 , it won't get backported to 0.21.x because it's not a fix, it's a new feature. You can try the feature in one of the weekly builds https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD-Bundle/releases/tag/weekly-builds but remember there's lots of changes going on so regressions are still around, the warning on the splash screen should be heeded.

[X-Ryl669]

As far as I understand your link, this is for the sketcher, not for the normal object. I've just tried the weekly build and it doesn't work. If you double click on any edge in Part Design's body (as in the first picture above) it selects the whole body and not the connected edges for the rounded rectangle.

[Roy-043]

For operations such as filleting selecting one edge is enough if edges are tangential as in the example.

There already is this:
https://wiki.freecad.org/Path_SelectLoop

[X-Ryl669]

Wonderful! Is it possible to trigger this in the part design workbench ? Right now, I've tested it and it works, but I need to change to the Path workbench first.

[Roy-043]

You can create a custom toolbar with this tool. You may then also need to auto-load the Path workbench at startup.
https://wiki.freecad.org/Interface_Customization#Toolbars
https://wiki.freecad.org/Preferences_Editor#Workbenches

[X-Ryl669]

Is there anything specific to Path for this tool? Is is possible to move it to a common tool (it's useful in many workbench, Part Design, Part, Path, ...) ?

Selecting a closed edge part by part is a real PITA from a UX perspective, you have to move the camera, select, try to be 1px on the edge, if there is some occlusion, you're doomed. I don't see that in other CAD software.

[maxwxyz]

Related / would benefit this problem: #10308