The ol' Combine & Separate issue

[Geta-Ve]

I am sure most will know what I am referring to simply by the title, but, for those that do not.

1. Make a sphere
2. rename it to "Bob"
3. Make a cube
4. rename it to "Suzy"
5. Combine the sphere and the cube
6. Now separate the two
   Tada! The naming structure is jacked.
   

This is an issue because the easiest way (objectively) to perform group based actions is by combining objects together. For instance.

1. Create a Sphere
2. Rotate sphere along X
   Done
   

1. Create two Spheres (space them apart vertically)
2. Select both and rotate along X
   Done
   

1. Combine those two spheres
2. Rotate along X
   Notice the difference?
   

While I can understand why this happens, I am hoping for some kind of 'fix' to this issue. Either in the form of Groups or some kind of object locking functionality, where we can temporarily lock objects together so that we may perform group based commands, like rotating a bunch of objects along their grouped axis.

While a context sensitive option would make the most sense, given the nature of Wings, I feel like that option may be too much work for the developers due to (I assume) needing to modify every command for group functionality. Which is why I suggested a temporary locking / grouping of objects.

Perhaps a context sensitive option for the Combine command? LMB - Permanently combine objects. RMB - Temporarily combine objects (maintaining their naming structure).

The difference between the two is that the LMB Combine will disregard the object order within the geometry graph, including pull objects out of Folders. Whilst the RMB Combine would keep everything ordered.

This begs the question though of why not use RMB Combine exclusively, for which I have no answer. I ask the developers, why doesn't combine work like this already? I can only assume that there is some kind of memory limitation?

Another possible solution would be to have a third window, a Groups window, wherein you can reorder objects in to groups, specifically for group command functionality (as in the rotate example above).

A third solution, playing off of the previous, is to have this grouping functionality within the Geometry Graph, you select which objects you want, RMB (in the GG) and select 'Group Temporary'. This would highlight (or give some kind of visual indication) each object stating that they have been temporarily grouped.

Perhaps have 10 available group states? Being able to step through them at the users leisure, kind of like the saved selections.


WELL, that is all I have to say about that.