The Outliner Manipulating Groups and Components
This exercise will show you how to move groups and components around, and how to combine them.
We will start with a table that has nested components (also called sub-components). In the red-green plane draw a rectangle approximately 5' x 2'-6" (look at the VCB to see the dimensions of the rectangle). Push/Pull it a bit.
Make this box a component called Table Top. Open the Outliner (Window / Outliner), and the component is listed. The four-square symbol next to the component name indicates that it is a component. (The Outliner can also contain groups, which we will see later.)
- Add a rectangular table leg and make this a component as well. The Outliner now shows two components. If the leg is selected, the component name is highlighted in the Outliner.
- 4. Use Move with Ctrl/Option to copy the leg once.
- 5. In the Outliner, select both leg components. (You can use Shift or Ctrl/Cmd to select multiple items.) This selects both components in the model.
- 6. Copy both legs to the other side of the table.
- 7. Add a rail between two legs, make it a component, and copy it.
- Now some components can be nested into larger components. Select all components of the base: four legs and two rails. Right-click and select Make Component, and call the new component "Base."
9. You can make groups and components directly in the Outliner as well. Select Base and Table Top and make it a new component called Table. Now the table consists of two nested components.
In the Component Browser under In Model, all components are there, whether they are nested or alone.
Open the Entity Info window for the table. Set the Statistics page to Components to see the sub-components of the table.
Now to add some more components. Start by adding a floor under the table - this provides a reference plane for adding more objects.
- In the Component Browser, open the Architecture_Sampler folder. Add a sofa and bookcase, using Move and Rotate as needed. There are now three components in the model.
13. Expand the sofa component in the Outliner and highlight one of its sub-components. The sofa has to be open for editing in order for its sub-component to be highlighted, so the sofa has an "open" symbol in the Outliner - four blue square surrounded by a box.
The original component name ("Component#15") is still listed after the new name. This is because you can assign different names to different component instances in the Outliner, but the actual component name in its definition remains constant.
13. Expand the sofa component in the Outliner and highlight one of its sub-components. The sofa has to be open for editing in order for its sub-component to be highlighted, so the sofa has an "open" symbol in the Outliner - four blue square surrounded by a box.
The original component name ("Component#15") is still listed after the new name. This is because you can assign different names to different component instances in the Outliner, but the actual component name in its definition remains constant.
16. To change the component name in its definition, right-click on Left Half and select Entity Info. The instance name is displayed above. Enter a new component definition name, such as "Sofa Half," under Definition.
Now highlight a sub-component of the sub-component (such as Group#12). Both the sofa and its first-level nested component (Component# 15) are now open for editing. There are dashed lines surrounding all components and sub-components, so you can tell where you are in the heirarchy.
0 Untitled ss iF_Sofa Modem > - ggj <Component#15>
+ :: <Component#15> _ s: <F_bookshelves 4Sxl4w_bc
0 Untitled ss iF_Sofa Modem > - ggj <Component#15>
+ :: <Component#15> _ s: <F_bookshelves 4Sxl4w_bc
The name "Component# 15" is not very helpful if you are looking for a particular object. Right-click on this item and select Rename. Assign a name like "Left Half."
16. To change the component name in its definition, right-click on Left Half and select Entity Info. The instance name is displayed above. Enter a new component definition name, such as "Sofa Half," under Definition.
Now both sofa halves have the same component definition name.
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Filter: |
+ :: <F_bookshelves 48x14 w_books> :: <F coffee table 2> Untitled + :: <F_bookshelves 48x14 w_books> :: <F coffee table 2> Left Half <Sofa Half> NOTE: You could also have changed the definition name via the Component Browser. You would have to Expand the browser to show sub-components, find the sofa half, and open its Properties. 17. Now rename the other instance separately. 20. Create another group by copying the existing room into the blank space and use Scale to turn the new group inside-out. 17. Now rename the other instance separately. 20. Create another group by copying the existing room into the blank space and use Scale to turn the new group inside-out. 
Now select all three components in the Outliner and make them a group. Now the furniture is placed under the "Group" heading. Groups are indicated by a single-square symbol. Highlight the table in the copied group. This opens the group, indicated by a single, open square surrounded by a box. Now select all three components in the Outliner and make them a group. Now the furniture is placed under the "Group" heading. Groups are indicated by a single-square symbol.
Untitled EE :: <F_Sofa Moderns H ¡s <F_bookshelves 48x14 w_books> :: <Table> Untitled EE :: <F_Sofa Moderns H ¡s <F_bookshelves 48x14 w_books> :: <Table>
Highlight the table in the copied group. This opens the group, indicated by a single, open square surrounded by a box.
@ Untitled + :: ;F_Sofa Moderns + s; <F_bookshelves 43x14 w_books> + ; @ Untitled + :: ;F_Sofa Moderns + s; <F_bookshelves 43x14 w_books> + ; The next step is to change the table top. This component must be made unique, but Make Unique is not available for this sub-component. Filter: [a] Untitled El- :: <F_Sofa Modern > El" SS <-_bookshelves 48x14 w_books> i <Table> I- :: <Base>
22. In order for a sub-component to be unique, its first-level component must be made unique first. So right-click on the table and make it unique. Filter: Untitled <F_Sofa Moderns Entity Info Erase Hide Lock Shift+E Delete Edit Component Explode The table is assigned a new name (Table#1, but you can change it). Now you can make the Table Top unique. Filter: Untitled <F_Sofa Moderns <F_bookshelji^p8x 14 w_books> <Table#l>*^ :: <Base> Entity Info Erase Hide Lock Shift+E Delete Edit Component Make Unique Explode 24. Right-click on this new table top component and select Edit Component. Make some changes to the table top, like adding glass. 
The color of the bounding box and object outlines for locked groups and components can be set in Model Info. Open the Colors page and set the color for Lock. To exit editing mode, you need to close sub-components, then main components. 26. Right-click the group, and all editing options, including Erase, are grayed out. You cannot touch this group or anything inside it, unless you Unlock it. 26. Right-click the group, and all editing options, including Erase, are grayed out. You cannot touch this group or anything inside it, unless you Unlock it. 
Look at the group's Entity Info window - the Locked box is checked. You can uncheck the box to unlock the group. Look at the group's Entity Info window - the Locked box is checked. You can uncheck the box to unlock the group.
This makes the table a first-level component - it is no longer part of any other component or group. The furniture group now contains only the sofa and bookcase. 
still The table disappears from the display, but it appears in the Outliner, in italics. still The table disappears from the display, but it appears in the Outliner, in italics. 
32. Use the Outliner to drag this table into the unlocked furniture group. 
This is an easy way to change a group - otherwise you would have to cut or copy the object you want to add to a group, then open the group for editing, then paste it in. Tip: You can also use the Outliner to move one component below another component, creating a nested component. If there is more than one instance of the first-level component, the nested component will go in each instance. This will be shown later in this book. The last feature of the Outliner is the Filter. Type "leg" into the Filter field (Mac: Search field). This will highlight all items in the Outliner that contain this string. If the Outliner is collapsed, the highlighted objects will not be displayed. 
35. Now you can see all the legs, in red font. 35. Now you can see all the legs, in red font.
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