How do you activate 2 objects?

Support Basics & Interface
#1

I am following the book Blender Foundations 2.6 and working on the project. I am in Chap 4 making the table. I have made the column and one of the feet which will be one of four feet coming out from the bottom of the column, which will be the center leg of the table.

But here is the problem:

The book tells me to use an array modifier to create the other three feet in a radius under the column, but to do that I need to select the column and the foot using shift RMB. But I can’t seem to do that. Is it because they are two different objects? I made them each separately, by tabbing to Object Mode each time. Do I need to make them one object? Is so, how can I do that (without starting over)?

After selecting them I’m supposed to go to location under the properties window and click copy to selected. But that option is greyed out, presumably because I haven’t selected the two objects.

Or is the problem caused by something else, maybe?

#2

You could select table top object and set Cursor to Selected Shift-S. Then go to feet and use Cursor or an Empty added at cursor as a centre for array.
Another would be Ctrl-J join tabletop and feet into one object ensuring that one foot centre is in same position as tabletop before (could start new one in centre and move vertices in editmode where needed.

#3

That worked, thanks, eppo.

But now the book has me using an array.

I followed the instructions, and now have 4 table legs in a row. I’m supposed to reselect the ‘empty’ and rotate it 90 degrees around the Z axis.’ But I don’t know how to reselect the ‘empty.’ I’m not sure what the empty is, and if I select any one of the table legs, all four are selected. I guess I could use CTRL P to separate them and then rotate each individually, but I’d like to follow what the book is saying.

If I select one leg, all are selected, and then all rotate around a 90 degree access.

#4

Empty is an object… well… an Empty object. Used for relational reasons usually, just to refer to something, some coordinates. Add like all other objects - cube, plane, circle - Shift -A and see list. Here you add empty to centre coordinates to tell Array modifier place to start. Also, when you rotate that Empty, this is translated to Arrayed objects. As usually, it will be added where 3d cursor currently is located, so select tabletop, set 3d cursor Shift-S, go to object mode and add an Empty.