Explicit Selections for Geometry Nodes
Dealing with selections is not incredibly straight forward with Geometry Nodes and there's no real visualization of what selections you are feeding into the node tree. We need a way to make explicit selections in the viewport that can be then fed into a node. Not mentioning specific software but its possible to simply make a selection in other software and then feed that into the procedural workflow. A few others that I can think of actually.
What I propose is that there should be a way to enter a "selection mode" where we can select the existing elements of a geometry nodes object and then use the standard Blender assign, select and deselect methods. It should also have a drop down for changing between verts, faces or edges and also allow for simply feeding a vertex group directly into a selection node.
I've attached a mockup of what something might look like. It would also show the index numbers that are in the current selection.
I'm sure there are issues with this as far as procedural modeling goes but again, this is something that I know is possible in other software I've used or use.
8 Comments
i don't understand thorns and modomoders comments... I know its not totally procedural in that way but other programs like Houdini have a node like that and it is really useful, at least it opens up new possibilities. I think Geometry nodes really needs a node for that kind of selection.
It's recommended to not use the inherent index numbers for selection, as they are not locked in a state of "You will always be #147." (A point can be assigned a new index number based on another factor.)
Indices probably will never be used in such way. This is no how you should use indices at least. And you can just use selection as boolean attribute in viewer node.
They are being used that way regardless as the index numbers show up in the spread sheet. Having the index numbers displayed is only a indicator, not a method for selection. I'm talking about making direct selections in the viewport and assigning them to that part of the node.
You can do this right now in tools.
Yes but tools is not procedural.
Yes, and for procedural modifying, you can just use generative node groups, or read named attributes of selection from source meshes.
but they are being used like that in houdini, why not in geometry nodes?