A dialog for File->Merge

[micheus]

Well, I was working in a way to select only the desired elements from a scene when using the Merge command, but then I realise that show all the elements name in a dialog can't be done as it should be since we don't have a way to scroll the window if it is too "long" (too many elements).
So, by now, I add the option to select the categories we want to import:

Does someone think this can be useful? If so, I can pull a request for the main devs in order to try include it in the next version of Wings3d.

In case someone would like to test it here is the link for download.

[Kruzschev]

Oo that will be very handy...
A nice way to get rid of useless crap.

Thank you.

[MikeJ]

In my limited testing, it seems to work very well. However, I do have one suggestion which is of course open to feedback from the group.

Often when I want to merge a couple of different scenes the merge dumps all of the new elements on top of what I am already working on. This would be okay if the newly-merged elements would stay selected because I could then easily move them out of the way of what I was already working on. As the current merge and this new merge functionality exists, I have to stop and select each and every element that was just merged into my scene in order to get it out of my way. This would of course necessitate having to deselect all in my current scene before actually merging the new elements in, which could be included in the merge functionality. So, once the file to be merged was selected and all of the various checkboxes were checked or unchecked, the first step of the merge function would be to do a deselect all on your current scene.

But that is probably just a derivative of the way I use Wings3D and may not work for other people's workflow.

What do you think?

[Fonte Boa]

MikeJ: i usually select all Wings scene objects before Merge. Then, after merge, i change to Body mode, call Select | Inverse, at Geometry Graph i create a folder and, finally, move all the merged objects to this folder.
Thanks for the new Merge window, Micheus: very glad here to verify the Selection Groups are automatically imported.

[oort]

Micheus,
Thank you very much. It is great to have control over what gets merged in.

Kruzschev,
I hadn't thought of it but you are right that it is a good way to get rid of "crap" you might have in a file...

It might be nice if there was an option to have the merged in objects auto-selected. Assuming it wouldn't be too hard to code. That might help MikeJ and everyone else...

Thanks,
oort

[MikeJ]

MikeJ: i usually select all Wings scene objects before Merge. Then, after merge, i change to Body mode, call Select | Inverse, at Geometry Graph i create a folder and, finally, move all the merged objects to this folder.

So if I am not mistaken, then you agree that my suggestion would make your workflow easier since all of the merged objects would be automatically selected after merge?

[micheus]

Thank you guys for get into this discussion.

Yeah, we can have an option related to selection. I thought in something like this:
┌─ Selection options ───┐
│ ● Preserve selection ∙│
│ ○ Add to current ∙∙∙∙∙│
│ ○ Replace current ∙∙∙∙│
└───────────────────────┘
But, I'm not good with name, so I'm accepting suggestions.

The Selection groups are being preserved too, but is it interesting preserve it in case it become invalid? (case in which elements that are part of the selection group belong to a not imported object)
The same case can be applied to Folders.
What do you guys think about them?

[MikeJ]

Can you say what each of the options does, because I'm not clear what each means.

[micheus]

Preserve selection: it will preserve the selection of your current scene (if there is any one)
Add to current: the selections present in file being merged will be added to the current scene selection (using that current mode)
Replace current: what the regular merge command do today - replaces the selections in the current scene with those ones present in the scene being merged.

You can download the update in order to check it better.
There is only a small issue that I'm working on that is about the "Add to current" option: the Geometry window isn't updated with the right selection. You can see in the Geometry Graph the previous selected objects with the icon in red, then if you hide/show (eye icon) the object it fix the visual issue. (it's ok now)

[MikeJ]

Add to current and replace current seems to do the same as preserve selection.

I would have the dialog be called:

Post-merge Selection Options

Preserve current selection
Add to current selection
Replace current selection
None selected

Additionally have the Info Line say more about what each one does (if a plugin can write to the Info Line)

Nice start!