Select by Normal

This tool is also available in the Select Menu in the Top Menu group. If you use this tool with no selection, you will be presented with a reduced range of options - the ones that need no selection. If however, you select one or more polygons on an object and then choose Select by Normal you will be presented with a window containing the following options:

• Angle Tolerance - Polygons whose normals are at no more than this value in difference to your original selection will be selected.
• Distance Tolerance - This will be ghosted unless you enable the following item.
• Use Distance Threshold - This enables the above item where you can specify a maximum distance for Select by Normal to work.
• Same Surface - Only selects polygons with the same surface.
• Select Connected Only - Only selects polygons that are directly connected. If you unweld a group of polygons they won’t be selected.
• Update - Shows the modifications you made to the selection.
• Select by Axis - Will select polygons based on the axis chosen and the Angle Tolerance.

 

1. Selecting a single polygon on two, unconnected spheres.
2. Opening Select by Normal we can see that additional polys are already selected because of the default angle.
3. Increasing the Angle Tolerance selects more polygons.
4. Ticking Same Surface removes the polygons on the red surface.
5. Checking Use Distance will open the Distance field.