[Visualize] Model Grouping Master List

When attempting to render a complicated assembly or a scene with multiple assemblies imported from SOLIDWORKS, it can be extremely tedious to move each individual model into position, especially with extensive or complicated assemblies. This can become compounded if you’ve already moved two models into the correct positions relative to each other and wish to move them both simultaneously to a different location in the environment, while maintaining their relative positions.

In the screenshot below, we see that with the Model Selection Tool active, you can only grab either the sphere or the box with one mouse click, but not both.

While this can be easily rectified in a simple project by simply holding CTRL down on your keyboard and left clicking both models, in a more complicated assembly in a larger environment, selection can become trickier. Combined with other performance factors and how differently sized your models are, individually selecting each individual model every single time you wish to move a group simultaneously can become very frustrating and time-consuming.

This article contains links to different ways that you can make your life a little easier when attempting to move multiple models or components in Visualize. Click on each link to learn more about their respective operations. 

Merging Models Together

An easy way to move your models in conjunction with another is to “merge” them together. Merging two models in Visualize combines each individual model's center points together as well combining their model tree entries into one entry. This allows you to select all merged components at the same time with one easy click. This can be done to Models and Parts (See Appendix A in this Article for more information on the distinction between Models and Parts in Visualize). Merging Models Together

Making Models Follow Each Other

You can also slave multiple models to follow one model’s transforms. You can set this so that each follower model mimics the leader model’s translational transforms ONLY, or you can you make all follower models mimic ALL transforms (including scaling). This can only be done on Models, not parts. Making Models Follow One Another

Grouping Parts Together

You can can create groups of parts in Visualize that can be selected all at once by using the Group Selector Tool. This allows you to organize your model tree without losing the ability to move individual parts by themselves. You can choose the Group Selector Tool to move all components in a group all at once, or you can switch back to the Part Selector Tool to move each individual component by itself. How to Group Parts Together in Visualize

Appendix A

NOTE: “Models” and “Parts” are considered different terms in the context of SOLIDWORKS Visualize. The Model Tree hierarchy in Visualize is Models -> Groups -> Parts -> Appearances. Parts are therefore considered more like “sub-models” that can be manipulated independently of the Top Level model but cannot be grouped to another part that is a “sub-model” of another Model in the Model Tree.

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