GroupPro

Art by: Michal Kalisz - Senior Artist & Lead Weapon Artist @CD PROJEKT RED

GroupPro is Blender add-on (now extension) that makes working with groups (collections) of objects in Blender much easier.

Here's why:

• Edit any copy: GroupPro lets you edit any copy of the object anywhere in your scene.
• Nested Groups: You can create groups within groups, like folders in your computer. Make changes to any group, and all its copies will update instantly.
• Special Modifiers: GroupPro includes few instancing modifiers to easily make copies of objects in mirrored, lined up, or circular array.
• Add Modifiers: You can now add modifiers like beveling or subdivision directly to your groups, affecting all copies (new in GPro 3.0).
• Easy Edits: Change the size, position, or rotation of a group without affecting its instanced copies.
• Break it Down: GroupPro lets you easily split a group back into its original objects (Dissolve).
• Material Control: Quickly change the material used by all objects in a group at once.
• Faster Viewport: GroupPro can use simpler versions of your objects to speed up your view in the 3D window (group Proxies).

The main way to use GroupPro functionality is through Ctrl+X pie menu.

Online Documentation

GroupPro makes it a breeze to manage large and complex scenes with lots of objects.

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

Supported Blender versions: 4.2 and up

• Since release of version 3.x (extension) groups of objects will be represented with: proxy mesh + group instance modifier. This gives you ability to add modifier on top of groups of objects
• If you want to use' old' groups: Empty object + 'Collection instance', then use old GroupPro 2.3.7 (add-on)

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,

Update 2.3.7 - 20.01.2025 (for Blender 3.6 and 4.x),

• workaround for Blender (4.2 and up) bug - where edited group matrix would be lost,
• Isolate View - is now handled using Blender Local View (should make it way faster to edit/close heavy groups),
• Editing group will no longer mess up user Local View ,
• Fixed: 'Pick Group' not working correctly in Local View,
• Fixed: Flip operator - moving of flip origin was buggy,

Update 3.0.0 - 5.01.2025 (for Blender 4.2+ GroupPro is extension now),

• Groups are now represented as empty mesh + group modifier, rather than empty.instance_collection. This allows to add modifier on top of groups of objects,
• workaround for Blender (4.2 and up) bug - where edited group matrix could be lost,
• Isolate View - is now handled using Blender Local View (should make it way faster to edit/close heavy groups),
• Editing group will no longer mess up user Local View ,
• Fixed: 'Pick Group' not working correctly in Local View,
• Fix: Flip operator - moving of flip origin was buggy,
• Correctly handle dissolving of hidden objects,
• Fix 'Create Group' wrong objects position on operator re-do (bug due to Blender 4.2 matrix word change),

Update 3.0.1 - 9.1.2025 (for Blender 4.2+),

• Refactor and simplify Group bounding box calculation
• FIX: 'Group from Collection' was not working in GP ver 3,
• 'Dissolve' should not crash now,