How do I select and move multiple items as one?

dracorn

I want to move a group of props (books specifically) together. I can select multiple items while holding down the shift key in the Scene tab, but when I try to move them, it will only move the last item selected. 

 

Is there a way to do this?

fixmypcmike

Select them, then Create > New Group

dracorn

Excellent!  It worked, thank you very much!

dracorn

How do you take an object out of a group, or undo a group?

sriesch

In the Scene pane, drag the object out of the group to the new location.  Or, right-click the object and select "unparent <whatever>".

 

If you can't see the objects in the group, click the little triangle in front of the group's name to expand it.

dracorn

sriesch said:

In the Scene pane, drag the object out of the group to the new location.  Or, right-click the object and select "unparent <whatever>".

 

If you can't see the objects in the group, click the little triangle in front of the group's name to expand it.

Hmm.  I tried to drag the object within the scene pane, but it only highlighted the objects around it.  I then tried to Change Parent of the single object, but it was already set to "None."   I didn't have any luck.

sriesch

Hmmm, strange.  Is it possible you did successfully unparent it and it's no longer in the group?  Can you provide a screenshot of your scene tab showing the group and the object within it (which would be indented farther to the right)?  Note that the group node remains, even if it's empty, unless you delete it.

When you drag, it should draw a box around whatever other node your cursor is over (letting you parent it to something else), or a line if your mouse cursor is exactly between two nodes (to place it there, but you can't see that line if it's immediately adjacent to and thus touching the highlighted node you are dragging it out of), or nothing but the ghost of the node being dragged if your cursor is above or below all nodes in the scene pane.

Sometimes selection for the drag can be a little flaky, I can't remember under what circumstances, but sometimes I have to let go of the mouse, click some node at random, then try again, although I don't think that's what you are seeing.

dracorn

OK, here's my problem.  "Unparent" isn't an option.  I also noticed that the symbol is not the cube for a group, so maybe that's the reason why I can't unparent it. 

fixmypcmike

Try "Change "..." Parent..."

dracorn

Fixmypcmike said:

Try "Change "..." Parent..."

I did try that, thanks.  However, there was nothing to change from, because it was already set at "None." 

Note how in the second picture that the icon shape is different than the cube, or than the Group which I had created (3rd picture).  I'm wondering if it is the way it's built.  I'm not sure what the difference is between these three icons.

 

The group which I had made (3rd picture), gives me the choice to "unparent," as well as allowing me to drag it out.  I can only conclude that this is not a group.  Also, each "light" consists of 2 fixtures which move as one unit, and also become invisible together, so I can't just hide one. 

DarkSpartan

What I do it I need to change things that I might want to spearate later is select them all in the Scene tab, then switch over to the parameters tab and select them again. Once you've moved them, you can select any one again and do whatever to it.

Like  pointing eyes to a specific target-- select left eyes, click both in the tab on the lower right (which brings up the parameters the eyes share), and click Point At...

fixmypcmike

The lights are a single figure, with each light being a bone, rather than a group.

DrowElfMorwen

I need to know how to do this WITHOUT creating a new group. I don't want a new group. I just want to move multiple items at once. DAZ USED to do this; I woud love to know whose grand idea it was to take this very logical and convienent ability away. *frowns*

Richard Haseltine

If you want to keep them separate it has always been necessary to hae them aprented to soemthign and move that - either parent all to one of the items and move that or null or,, now that it's possible, use a group.

Canary3d

DrowElfMorwen said:

I need to know how to do this WITHOUT creating a new group. I don't want a new group. I just want to move multiple items at once. DAZ USED to do this; I woud love to know whose grand idea it was to take this very logical and convienent ability away. *frowns*

Create a cube, make it invisible, parent the other stuff to the cube, then move the cube around.

DrowElfMorwen

There used to be a way to do this without taking an extra step. I just want our original ability back.

Chohole

Rob says

I did not ADD the ability to move secondary (multiple) nodes using the Universal tool until 4.9.3.16 (http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/change_log_4_9_3_166#4_9_3_16). Parenting nodes to either a Null or (later) a Group, has been THE way to do it for a VERY long time.

Richard Haseltine

If you want all of the items to have the same value you can seelct them and enter the value in the Parameters pane - but I would assume you don't if it's moving stuff around.

tkdrobert

Fixmypcmike said:

Select them, then Create > New Group

OOOOO thanks for that.

nyrva

Fixmypcmike said:

Select them, then Create > New Group

 

When I try to select more than one item, if I select a bed -- I've tried control, shift, and alt clicks. Nothing works. Holding down those keys and trying to click on more than one object does not select more than one object.

How would I select more than one object to group together in the first place? I'm running DAZ3d 4.12X 64 Bit Windows.

I've also wanted to select and move two avatars together but that is also not possible for the same reasons. Neither shift-click, control-click, or alt-click results in a multi-item selection that I can then move or edit together.

I've done several google searches, nothing comes up for what you do.

Please help. Thanks.