New editing tab: 'Grouping', for objects and child objects.

I have a plan for creating a fairly complex object, such that I want to attach scripts to various sub-objects, and one to the main object itself.

The problem is that the menu commands 'Link' and 'Unlink' don't make it obvious how an object heirarchy is set up. Also, it's not clear how you can access a child object, or attach a script to it.

I'd like to see an extra editing tab called 'Grouping'. This lets users shuffle the prims of an object around, grouping them as necessary.

It would resemble a Treeview widget, with some buttons marked 'New Group', 'Edit', and 'Parent'.

For example, a window might look like this:

+Object (script 'MainScript')
++Cube
++GROUP (script 'Body')
+++Cylinder
+++Sphere
+++Sphere
+++GROUP (script 'Control Panel')
++++Cube
++++Cylinder (script 'Button 1')
++++Cylinder (script 'Button 2')

Basically, once you Link all the prims together, this Grouping tab lets you shuffle them in place.

Highlighting each entry in the Treeview highlights the primitive in the world.

The mouse can be used to drag primitives in and out of groups - same applies to dragging groups. Hitting Del while on a group removes the group (not removing the prims inside it, though.)

Clicking on 'Edit' with a group selected focuses on that child object - this is so that you can access the Contents of each child object and set the scripts you need for each one. (The Grouping tab updates accordingly, as well, with the child object now being shown as the Root Object.)

Clicking on 'Parent' while editing a child object moves you one level up the hierarchy.

I think this would give users all the power they need to make complex, mechanical objects.

-Mera Cotton.