I have a window object made up of a panel and a frame. The panel is parented to the frame. I would like to link or append multiple windows from my window.blend into my scene.blend.
To do this, I want to make a group. So I select the panel and frame (even though they are already parented) and create a group called window.
Now I can import the window.
Even though this sounds simple, I want to make sure I’m doing this right and that there is nothing redundant. I don’t want to fill my scene with unnecessary datablocks.
So to recap my question. If I do this, I can append the window a 100 times if I want to, and each duplicate is a group.
Important (Is this right?) - After appending a group, to move it I “DON’T” use the parent relationship, but instead select the group? or is it the other way around, that once the group is appended, I move the parent relationship around?
I tried to select the appended group, where is the origin? The manual says, that grouped items are associated with an Empty, but I can’t find it. That’s why I’m not sure about how to accurately position a group?
I think you did it corretly. If you set a link to the group, you use the group instance as one object. The parent/child relationship is unimportant then. I’m not sue what “…I move the parent relationship around?” means.
The objects in the group instance are like a piece of concrete. You won’t be able to add several instance of the group and open the window of one instance but close it in the other instance. You would have to go to window.blend an do it in the original, but this changes all instances. (That’s a general modelling problem I have with Blender, but I won’t elaborate on this now…)
The origin of group instances should be visible like with other simple objects. The three axis should also be at the origin.
Thank’s - Not finding the origin boxes was the most important problem I was having. I understand now. As for instancing? I have to make copies of the groups instead, since I want some windows open and others closed. Without you saying more, I think I might have the similar group problem you did not mention. The group origin makes it much easier.
This is what I meant by moving the parent relationship around. I would group the window and append a dozen or so and then just move the parent of each copy. So the origin fixes all that. Bad terminology, but I’m working on it.
