Good day.
I export my drawings from Moi to Blender to do the renderings.
If I have multiple solid items in Moi not attached to each other is there a way to group them together?
So If I import them in Blender they are seen as a single object?

The reason for this is ...when I export from Moi it is a done deal and no further adjustment is needed.
If I import them in Blender to select the items as a group on single object to add color or texture in one shot instead of
selecting them one by one or try to group/parent them in blender.

Thank you!

Hi Matadem,

re:
> If I have multiple solid items in Moi not attached to each other is there a way to group them together?

Assign the same name to the objects you want to group together and in MoI set Options > Import/Export > "Combine same named objects" (checkbox at the top).

- Michael

assign a color in moi to the parts that you want to be the same material in blender. (IE bolts are blue, Plastic is orange, wood is green, etc) they come into blender all with those separate materials. all you have to do is modify one of the bolts blue materiel and all the other blue bolts will be modified as they all have the same material. you can apply multiple colors (materials) to one object in moi and it will be imported into blender.

Both methods work.

Question what is the difference between naming object and assign colors.

The reason I ask because I tried importing a drawing with different parts into sheetcam and I expected it since they were named differently for
each part to get its layer.

Only when I assigned them different colors it imported with different layers.

Thank you!

No difference I believe :) And the even be blended! :)
Different objects can have a same colors ...colors are works' color
Different Object can have a same name but it's not very clever because they will be in the same "Name" in the Outliner!
This can be used of course if wanted for any reasons!
Many crossing selections can be made!

Hi Matadem,

re:
> Question what is the difference between naming object and assign colors.

The object names will affect the structure of the Outliner / Scene Collection browser thing in Blender. The combined objects will behave as one entry there.

Style assignments will affect the materials list and the materials assignment.

If the main thing you want is for several different objects to have the same render material, then probably use style assignments. Then when you're in Blender you will have separate objects but they will be assigned a single material and you can edit the materials.

- Michael

Hi Michael,

I was keenly interested in this as I frequently run into this issue when exporting as an OBJ to import into Blender or 3D Coat.

However when I export as an OBJ in MOI I do not see the option you mention (Import/Export > "Combine same named objects" (checkbox at the top)).

Cheers

Ken

Never mind, I found it in the application Options setting as Michael suggested. I thought he meant options in exporting.

Sorry...