Can't Select Edge Rings (Again)

[John_Russell2]

Okay, I had a problem before with selecting edge rings and @NP5 told me I could double click the edge. This worked but today for some stupid reason I decided to reset my preferences and startup file and of course when I did I am now unable to select an edge ring. I’ve turned on “emulate numpad” because I have a compact wireless keyboard without a numpad. I’ve tried turning “emulate 3 button mouse” on or off even though I have a regular mouse. I’ve tried Ctrl + Alt + LMB, Ctrl + Alt + RMB, Ctrl + RMB, Ctrl + LMB, Alt + RMB, Alt + LMB, and double click. Nothing is working.

Edit: Also, when I select an edge and go to Select>Select Loops>Edge Rings it selects separate parallel edges (hopefully you can see this in the attached screenshot)

[Myn]

This is actually working as intended – we cannot select the top (or bottom, left, right, etc.) edges of a cube using edge loops.

Topology is not my strong point, but my understanding is that edge loops only work with vertices that connect 4 edges. They stop at poles, which are vertices with 3 or 5+ vertices.
Note how the corner of that cube connects 3 edges.

(I might be wrong on edge loops not working with poles, someone will please correct me if so! Either way, we cannot loop select the top of a cube like this. Blender can’t tell what we’re trying to select – the edges around the top face, or the edges around the side face.)

Make a loop cut down the middle of your cube using Ctrl+R:

Now if you Alt+LMB one of those middle edges, (or use Select Loops>Edge Loops) it will select the edge loop.

This works because each of those middle vertices now connects 4 edges.

There’s also a difference between edge loops and edge rings (from your previous post I assumed you wanted a loop). A loop selects edges that are connected to each other (see above). A ring selects edges that share faces, but might not be connected to each other (see below – shared faces marked in blue).

Hope that helps.

[John_Russell2]

Ohhhhh, thank you! I have so much to learn!