3D Method ... Experiment

[jclements]

The following was not obvious to me until I began experimenting. I don't recall a discussion about this before so hopefully it be a fun new thing to play with.

This could be helpful if you want to use the 3D effects with multiple objects but maintain some of the the 3D attributes throughout.

Create your objects.
Select all of them.
Apply a SOFTGROUP to them.
Click once on the softgroup to select all the objects of the group.
Now use the 3D tool to extrude and rotate, etc.

Some Benefits:
1- You can reposition the soft group easily. You can reposition the individual 3D objects within the Soft Group without modifying their 3D attributes via Control clicking with the Selector Tool.
2- You can modify some of the 3D attributes to ALL within the softgroup at once, even the extrusion (aka outline) color by applying the 3D Tool to the soft group.
3- You can STILL control on an individual 3D object within the softgroup (by Control clicking with the Selector Tool), then choose the 3D tool and manipulate its 3D attributes independently, but not destroy the capabilities of the softgroup and the 3D tool mentioned in 1 and 2 above.
4- It is a bit easier to keep a consistent look to the 3D objects such as their extrusion depths.

Play with the attached.

[steve.ledger]

Hi Jim,

I can't see any difference. Softgrouped or not, your file or mine.
Can you explain what you are seeing as the difference between a softgroup and a marquee selected group of the same objects?

[jclements]

Basically because Soft Groups makes selection much easier so you can control the 3D effects of the entire group all at once but still edit stuff within if you want. For me that is a nice convenience.

Take this example. There are 3 different Soft Groups which are close to each other. Each group has a distinct vanishing point which should be maintained. I think for some people it would be easier to click once rather try to pick the objects which have the same perspective. Plus, in this example, you've the benefit of using different layers so you can change the stacking order without disturbing their 3D attributes. Notice the shadows.

And if you click on a Soft Group and toggle of the 3D effect off, for example to do node editing, and then toggle 3D back on, the individual extrusion depths and lighting can sometimes be restored.

[steve.ledger]

Basically because Soft Groups makes selection much easier so you can control the 3D effects of the entire group all at once but still edit stuff within if you want. For me that is a nice convenience.

Hmm - but the same can be done with normal (hard) groups.
You have all the advantages as well. You can select a single object in a group using the ctrl + select tool and edit as required, when you click away it's still part of the parent group.

Note: One difference I do see is that although you can reposition a single object in both group types and then select the group for further 3D manipulation, only the softgroup maintains the changed object position and orientation while the hard group snaps it back to it's original orientation.
In this regard there is an advantage with softgroups.

Thanks John (I'm getting my Jims and Johns mixed up)..

[jclements]

What I find is big advantage is that with Soft Groups, it does not make a difference WHEN you group.

With Hard Groups, if you group objects first before "3D-ing" them, then Ctrl selecting is not available for the individual objects or in the Layers Gallery. If you group after "3D-ing" them, you can.

Another big advantage to me is that Hard Groups only allow you change the stacking order of objects within a group, but you can not move objects within the Hard Group to different layers without ungrouping. With Soft groups it is an non-issue and because you have total freedom to restack the order of all objects within the drawing while maintaining the various 3D properties for each Soft Group. I feel this allows for more experimentation/flexibility and a more fluid workflow while composing a drawing.