Create Solid and Sheet Instance
Create reusable duplicates of a Solid or Sheet object without copying the underlying geometry. An instance stores transformation data (position, pivot point, rotation, scale), material data and references the original Solid object, so any change to the master geometry is reflected instantly in all its instances.
Instances are read-only copies of their parent and cannot be edited independently. They appear with a medium to light gray surface edge color to clearly differentiate them from the original object.
- Use the Create Instance command when you need many identical parts such as fasteners, panels, or repetitive structural elements while keeping the model lightweight and easy to maintain.
- Instances work with array commands such as Curve Array, Radial Array, and Rectangular Array.
- Instances can also be used with the Mirror command, enabling live symmetry where changes to the master geometry updates all mirrored instances automatically.
- Cannot use Place and Copy with Placement commands on created instances for now.
Basic Usage
- Select the Solid or Sheet you want to use as the parent object.
- Open the Command Palette, type Create Instance, and execute the command.
- Move the newly created instance to the desired location.
- Confirm with OK in the Command Dialog or right-click.
Note: Once an instance has been created, you can duplicate that instance any number of times, and all of the duplicates will continue to reflect any changes made to the original parent object.
Instance Groups
The process of instancing groups is similar to instancing objects.
When a group is selected and it contains primary geometry, an instance of the group will be created and placed outside of the group folder under its own dedicated category in the Outliner.
| Number | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Main group with components inside. |
| 2 | Parent objects that will be instanced. |
| 3 | Instance of main group allocated outside of the main group under the category "Instances". |
Basic Usage
- Select a Group in the Outliner to instantiate.
- Search for Create Instance in the Command Palette and execute it.
- Move the instanced group.
- Confirm with OK in the Command Dialog or right-click.