Modelling

Re-Route Instances

Select as many instances as you want and execute the command. It will ask you for a new mesh source. Pick one from the dropdown or put in a new name and an empty mesh will be created as new source.

Hint: The dropdown only shows mesh items by default, the command works with the item’s name though. This means you can type any existing items name into the dialog field and it should work with non-mesh items. Obviously things might explode if used this way, so save before you try this. It has been seen in the wild to work with V-Ray Proxies for example.

De-Instance

Select as many instances as you want and execute the command. You will get shiny new normal meshes.

Turn Selected Into Instances

This command will turn a selection of items (generally mesh items, but it should work with any item) into instances of the last selected item. This command essentially takes the last selected item, instances it and copies the properties and hierarchy from onew of the selected items, then deletes the original selected item. It does this while keeping hierearchies and non-selected items intact. This command is very useful to make heavy (CAD) scenes lighter. Works great in combination with “Select Similar Meshes”.

Select by Size/Volume

This command enables you to clean up a dense (CAD) scene very quickly. Often one does not need the tiny screws that come with a car model. With this they are easily filtered out.

Allows you to select all items in a scene based on different sizing methods.

  • Volume: If the mesh bounding box is smaller then the entered cubic volume.
  • Area (X/Z): If the mesh bounding box X/Y area is smaller then the entered value.
  • Shortest Side: If the mesh’s shortest side is smaller then the entered value.
  • Longest Side: If the mesh’s longest side is smaller then the entered value.

The invert checkbox simply inverts the selection, so everything that is larger then the entered value gets selected.

The instances checkbox allows you to either select or don’t select instances.

Select Similar Meshes

This command comes with a bunch of options to fine tune its operation. In essence it allows you to select all meshes in a scene that are the same or similar enough. It does this by one of three modes:

  • Exact: Only matches mesh items with the exact same bouding box dimensions.
  • Poly Only: Only items with the exact same poly count will be selected.
  • Varying: Items within a certain user defined threshold are matched. By default items with no more bounding box difference then 1% are matched.

Compare Polys: This comes into play with Exact and Varying match modes. First the bounding box is compared and then we check if the poly count matches.

Match Only Same Scale: By default the command does not care about item scaling. So it will match the same item even if it is scaled. Enabling this box makes item scaling matter.

Now as you might have noticed, the command is relatively simpel. It does not match any topology. Hence it will fail in some circumstances. However it should be accurate enough for 99% of real world cases.