Geometry Nodes Empty
As I understand it, an empty can't have geo nodes. I always have to add a mesh, where I can add the nodes to.
So every geo node sytem contains some "base" mesh even if all geometry is generated via nodes.
Wouldn't it be more "clean" to have an empty that can contain geo node setups?
5 Comments
Geometry nodes for all object types would be good
I'm not sure how this would work. "Geometry Nodes" have geometry in its name, and it because it deals with geometry. When you create a geometry node modifier, the first thing that appears is a group input and a group output node with a geometry link. Empties are not supposed to have modifiers on them and I think enabling this option could break a lot of the Blender UX consistency.
For now, creating an object with an empty mesh (you just delete eveyrthing in edit mode) is a clean way of adding a geometry node modifier. And the reason is, Geometry Nodes IS a modifier, not a scene manager or such. In Houdini, everything works with node, you can just do it all in the nodes and it's nice, but Blender is currently locked to the object - geometry level, you can only alter existing geometry, a "Mesh" but not mess with the scene directly. I assume your idea was to get something similar to Houdini behavior, but even in Houdini, empties are not geometries.
Maybe a better way of interpreting your idea would be to add a new option in the 3D viewport "Add" panel, so you can directly create a "Geonodes" primitive : An object with an Empty Mesh, and it has a geometry nodes modifier on it. This could eventually be a great option to start working in geonodes in a clean way ;)
Maybe empties and/or collections should just support modifiers (including geo node modifier)
Collection modifiers that affect all its children would be awesone
Absolutely agree!