Directly select a whole collection
Collections are wonderful to organize things but I really would like to group and protect objects inside in a better way. It's too easy forgotting hierarchy and moving things around. In certain cases I would like collections acting more like a single object: I mean it would be really useful to freeze inside objects and makes them selectable in a single click by selecting the parent collection or one of the childs. Right click "select objects inside" is very annoying. I think a checkbox would activate the trick, something like "freeze objects inside" and so making the entire collection selected when left-click one of the objects (or the outliner name).
I know I can make a collection instance, but it's still another object to manage, and make things more complex. In case you TAB(edit) the collection that just would do a multi obj EDIT.
Together with collection assets support (when will happen?) this could be really useful.
What do you think ?
12 Comments
What you describe is a simpler version (yet more efficient in my opinion) that these proposals :
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/A6PP/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/Sqcbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/Rcbbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/Fzbbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/fhbbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/v9fbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/mqV3/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/K1Wx/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/p0hbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/k0hbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/Gwhbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/Yxhbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/2thbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/vnhbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/ghhbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/0Fgbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/n7gbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/r4gbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/qmfbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/2Ydbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/yjfbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/nkdbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/Kjdbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/5ddbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/4Rcbbc/
blender.community/c/rightclickselect/ykcbbc/
Also, lot of discussion here : blenderartists.org/t/how-about-a-better-grouping-system/676454/73
But the others comment said it is worthless, so we'll just wait until it's in the roadmap, and see a new proposal on right-click select every month...
If you want your collection to act as a whole, you can use a collection instance and hide the original collection.
Yes I know this. But it means having to manage different scenes, or hiding things and not able to directly modify anything. But thats a workaround
I'd like it like this: All collections could be converted to collection instances. Collection instances can be moved as a whole. But what we need is an "Edit objects" mode or something like that for collection instances. So, the user could either manipulate the collection instance as a whole, or go inside, and manipulate individual objects.
Yes. that would be great
I think there's 2 non-free addons that achieve this seemingly flawlessly. I don't know why it's not a native feature yet.
No offense, but I dont think this is necessary. This would work opposite to what you think. Rather than "simplifying" things, this would make it more complex then it already is.
If you want your objects to all be locked onto one parent object that you can select, transform, move around, and apply mods to, just parent all your objects to an empty. Theres a reason collections exist. What youre asking for is basically exactly what I just described... an empty with child objects. The objects are even conveniently tucked inside the empty in the hierarchy, just like a collection.
Its not very inutitive, you always must remember there's a parent to select instead of the objects. Many times I forgot the tiny empty cross and mess things around.
I agree with you, having to parent empty or make collection instance and then if you want to move the original object, disable the instance, make the move on the original hidden collection (that may not be on the same location), and hide this collection again to work on the instance isn't the intuitive/best way (i use it with lot of frustration and try to avoid it as much as i can)
Having the exact same behavior as ue4 (ctrl+g to freeze group of object, duplicate it, then unfreeze if needed) + the option to make collection instances that if you edit one of the instanced collection, it applies the edit on all instanced collection !
The real problem in my opinion is that collections are not intended at all to be related to 3d space hierarchy of objects. The most complicating factor is that a single object can be a member of INFINITE multiple collections.
So if I have collections for "outdoor objects", "plants", "back yard objects", "organic objects", "objects with particle systems", "objects on Bob's property", "objects used as instances", "objects covered in christmas lights", "objects covered in snow", "objects taller than the house" and I have a single tree that exists in ALL those different collections... which collection is selected when I click on the tree?
They need to not have collections pulling double duty. There needs to be a purpose built "group" concept added to Blender. Mutually exclusive collections but don't call them collections and don't use the same icon.
For now selecting can be done wtih
ctrl+g > collection. I know it's an extra step.I think the issue is that a collection does not represent a spatial object that you can click on. But having some shortcut combo + click that does
ctrl+g > collectionwould be nice.Yes thats the thing. "collection does not represent a spatial object". That's the issue about.
I think I would love a shorcut to select the whole collection when clicking one of the childs