GroupPro

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Blender addon for managing groups of objects (collection instances).

For Blender 3.6 and 4.x use GrupPro 2.3.0 (or newer)

Online Documentation

With GroupPro you can merge objects into one container object in non destructive way (using instances collections).  Features:

• edit any instances on scene (not just the 'source' one, like it works by default, with collection instances)
• work in recursive way - group, can be created from subgroups, which can be made of subgroups etc. Any subgroup can be edited and saved, with all other instances updated in real-time
• Few basic modifiers supported (linear and radial array, let me know if you want more). By default you cannot add any modifiers to groups in Blender.
• easy mirroring of groups (fixes group instance mirror bug in blender, where mirrored copy would not be flipped correctly)
• change group: origin, transformation (location, rotation, scale), without destroying positions of other instances in scene
• dissolve group (split it into original objects - in recursive way - controlled by 'Depth' parameter)
• edit material in all group sub-objects in one click (replace, add, assign mat)
• create group proxies (temporary lowpoly version, to speed up viewport)

This makes working with huge scenes with lots of objects easy and gives all the pros of group instances:

•  less memory memory usage
•  easy selection of multiple objects with one click

GroupPro comes with build-in auto-updater - one click to get latest updates.

Links:

• Here is video tutorial/demo how to use GroupPro (now new videos):
• Discord Support channel (use this is possible)
• Blenderartist thread with QA (old)

You will get free updates whenever there are new ones.

Update 2.0.8 and 2.0.9(for Blender 2.8 only)

• fixed initialize function
• flip - now is aware of previously created copy. It will update its position, instead of creating new instance of flip
• Added ability to group collections. See vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcreHIRw3f8

Update 2.0.11 (for Blender 2.8 only fix)

• grouping collection now fully supported (Right click in outliner -> 'Group from collection').

• quaternion option added to preferences (prevents gimbal lock that may sometimes happen with euler object rotations, but less user friendly that euler rotations)
• More options for Flip operator (new coordinate systems - global, local cursor)
• Origin to center of bounding box added

Update 2.0.12 (for Blender 2.8 only fix)

• added local mode options: tree, list
• option for linking modifier objects added
• option for linking children objects added

Update 2.0.13 (for Blender 2.8 only fix)

• added 'update addon' option in preferences. When next release of GP will be out, use it to automatically download and install new GP version. Hopefully it will work :). Problems may be reported eg. on discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/cxZDbqH
• improved pick group - gives more predictable results, bugfixes.

Update 2.0.17 (22.05.2019- will work only with blender builds after 21may):

• Compatibility fixes for latest blender release (after 21 may)
• Added option to un-instance meshes when creating Group Copy.

Update 2.1.0 (12.09.2019, for blender 2.8)

• Added Proxies generation support
• added ability to edit linked libraries groups (beta)
• new documentation

Update 2.1.3 (19.11.2019, for blender 2.8)

• fix bad bounding box drawing, when using 'set origin'
• 'create group' will use active object collection as target for placing new group empty

Update 2.1.5 (12.02.2020)

• better handling of broken groups,
• opening group will now make its collection active in outliner
• added - apply transformation (loc, rot or/and scale)
• fix drawing of bbox after refactor

Update 2.1.6 (21.02.2020)

• Pick Open - you can now scroll to change opened hierarchy depth,
• fix isolate view,
• material menu - added 'Change color'
• UI cleanup

Update 2.1.7 (23.02.2020)

• you can now snap to the corners of group bounding boxes (for old groups you have to open them then close - after that corner snapping will work)
• fixed SSL certificate error problem
• added faster material color update
• added option to disable bounding box vertices

Update 2.2.0 (19.12.2020)

• fix auto-updater for  Mac users,
• improved Flip operator,
• Bugfixes for Blender 2.91

Update 2.2.2 (28.04.2021)

• added auto viewport group coloring option in addon preferences (default ON),
• added option to skip using stored flip origin (use 3D cursor instead)
• added 'Link to group' option to Ctrl+L menu
• fix bugs related to Proxies switching and other bugfixes
  

Updated 2.2.3 ( 22.05.2021)

• added Blender 2.93 support,
• keep active object when adding and removing objects from group

Updated 2.2.4 (For blender 2.93 - 06.10.2021)

• added support for Join Object/Group (Ctrl+J),
• added option 'origin from active' when creating group,
• added support for assigning materials to curves

Updated 2.2.5 (For blender 2.93 and 3.x - 12.10.2022)

• Added Materials > Override all - it will override all materials inside group with chosen/new one,
• 'Create Group' has new option to use Bounding Box Bottom as origin

Updated 13.11.2022

• better handling on broken groups stack

Update 2.3.1 - 11.11.2023 (for blender 3.6 and 4.x),

• added Radial and Linear array (based on Geometry Nodes),
• Blender 4.0 is now supported
• Fixed function of restoring Group Pro hotkeys ,
• remade GPro hotekeys UI in addon preferences
• Better handling of groups on multiple scenes,
• Geometry Nodes modifiers can be dissolved now - Converts instances generated by modifiers into real geometry,
• Fix for not deactivating some blender keymaps correctly (eg. duplicate - is overridden by GPro - but it would not work)

Update 2.3.3 - 17.02.2024 (for blender 3.6 and 4.x),

• faster bounding box calculations (recalculated only on depsgraph updates)

Updated 2.3.4 - 20.03.2024 (for Blender 3.6 up to 4.2),

• Dissolve - added option to use Empties to build hierarchy,

Updated 2.3.5 - 30.07.2024 (for Blender 3.6 up to 4.2),

• Added nicer way of handling hidden objects,