Fundamentals > User Interface Basics > About Query and Preselection Highlighting
  
About Query and Preselection Highlighting
You must select design items (datums or geometry) to be able to work with your model. This selection process usually begins with a query. You query design items to locate a specific item upon which to perform an action. As you move your pointer over the model and query, geometry and datums are highlighted and tooltips provide additional identification. This preselection highlighting enables you to accurately target the design item that you want to select. After you locate the item, you select it and begin designing.
Preselection Highlighting in Graphics Window
As you move your pointer over an item or query an item, Creo Parametric highlights the item. This type of highlighting is called preselection highlighting and provides a visual confirmation of the design item enabling you to accurately target the item that you want to select. As you move the pointer, Creo Parametric highlights the top-most item located directly under the pointer. As you query, each item is highlighted from top (closest to the pointer) to bottom.
 
* Preselection highlighting is enabled by default. If you disable it, you must use a different selection method.
Preselection Highlighting in Model Tree and Layer Tree
When preselection highlighting is enabled by clicking and then clicking Preselection Highlighting and you move your pointer over selectable Model Tree or Layer Tree items, that is, the tree nodes, then the tree nodes below the pointer appear underlined in the current text color indicating preselection highlighting of the nodes. The geometry corresponding to the selectable tree items below the pointer is displayed in the graphics window using preselection highlight presentation.
When preselection highlighting is enabled by both the methods given below and you move your pointer over selectable items in the graphics window, then the corresponding tree nodes appear underlined, indicating preselection highlighting of the nodes.
Click and then click Preselection Highlighting on the list.
Click File > Options > Selection and then click Enable preselection highlighting check box.
Query
Query model geometry by placing your pointer over the model geometry and right-click. With each right-click, Creo Parametric cycles through each geometrical item that is located directly under the pointer from top (closest to the pointer) to bottom. The queried item name is displayed in the Status bar. You can continue to query until you have located the item that you want to select. Remember that querying is very helpful if another item is above the item that you want to select.
Another way to query items is to use the Next and Previous shortcut menu commands or the Pick From List dialog box. The Pick From List dialog box contains a list of items that are located directly under the pointer. Subassemblies are listed after the part-level components in the list. You can select the item from the Pick From List dialog box and begin designing your model.
 
Creo Parametric can display IDs of the items listed in the Pick From List dialog box for the queried model geometry or dimensions. Set the show_selected_item_id configuration option to yes to display these IDs (default is no).
Creo Parametric can display a message in the message area that indicates each queried or selected geometry item. You must set the provide_pick_message_always configuration option to yes to display these messages (default is no).
When you select an item from the Pick From List dialog box, Creo Parametric retains the highlighting of the item in the graphics area when you spin, pan, or zoom the model.
A Note About ToolTips
As you move the pointer over model geometry, a tooltip displays the name of the preselection highlighted or queried item in the Status Bar and in the graphics window. These tooltips provide additional item identification. You can disable the graphic window tooltips by setting the enable_popup_help configuration option to no (default is yes).