Adding a light object to an existing instance

[jhinhotak]

Hello! New member here! 

I've been googling, youtube-ing, and chatgpt-ing this question but pretty stumped. 

Primary issue: I have model built in SKP of a retail store. I was hoping that importing an SKP would automatically create an instance of the object in 3DS but it didn't. So I created an instance of the canned lights all over the store.

Only to realize I forgot to add an object light to that instance. I thought I could just add it to the instance later, not realizing how difficult that would be.  

At the moment, I just re-created more instances of lights. But I come from a SketchUp background, which is very easy to copy and paste things in and out of components and groups. I was just wondering if there was a way to do it just as easily in 3DS. 

The goal is that in case I want to move the light objects around (they're on a track), I don't have to move two different objects.

In the attached image, I want to add the arnold light to the canned light instance. 

Auxiliary issue: I'm also having trouble figuring out how to organize groups, it seems really hard to add and remove stuff to existing groups. And explode, detach, and ungroup all do the same thing. 

Thank you so much in advance! 

[RobH2]

Just so I'm clear, you have a whole bunch of geometry objects (the light cans) mounted to the tracks. Now you want to add an instance of the same light to each can, and then just be able to move the cans individually, and the light will follow. Is that correct? Answers to what to do will depend on exactly what you are trying to do. 

[jhinhotak]

Yea so to clarify: 

I have an instance of a light can spread out throughout the store.

I want to add a light object to that instance after the fact. That way I don't have to manually create individual instances for each light can I already spread across the store. It would also be nice to be able to move the individual cans which have the lights attached to them. 

It's not so much a specific object I have in mind, more of question on whether it is possible to easily add an object to an existing instance or group. And if so, what the easiest way to do that is? 

I apologize if the solution is already somewhere out there, just haven't been able to find anything myself. 

Thanks!! 

[RobH2]

Here's a video of how I'd handle this. Maybe isolate all of your cans in Max so you don't have any other geometry confusing things. You'll just see a bunch of cans and it will make things easier. 

[CAMedeck]

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Auxiliary issue: I'm also having trouble figuring out how to organize groups, it seems really hard to add and remove stuff to existing groups. And explode, detach, and ungroup all do the same thing. 

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If you have a group that includes other groups, Ungroup will leave the sub-groups intact.  Explode will ungroup everything, including sub-groups of your selection.  Detach will only work if you have an Open group and are selecting elements within that group.  It just removes those elements from that group.  

As for the lights, I feel like an easier solution would be to create a new group with one of the cans and a light source, then use Clone and Align to instance the group into the same location as the other light cans.  You'll likely have to do some offset in the C&L settings to get things lining up right.  But once you've instanced all the new groups, you can just delete the old can models.

[jhinhotak]

Thank you both for your support! 

I appreciate you guys taking the time to explain it! 

While I get that there are workarounds, i was just wondering if there was an easy way to add an object to an existing instance group. But it seems like there isn't, which is totally fine! I'll just have to be mindful of it in the future before deciding to create an instance! 

Thanks again!! 

[RobH2]

Yep, that's another good way to approach it. It's good to have alternatives in case one doesn't work as expected or as easily as hoped.