The Comparison of Linking and Attaching

This chapter provides a comparison table for Linking and Attaching.

 

Linking

Attaching

When to Use

  • Passing an object from one parent node to another at a specific time.
  • Changing a camera's view to another actor's or object's view.
  • Having a light follow another moving object.
  • Creating a merged object and adding it into the Custom library of Props.
  • Adding an actor with accessories into the Custom library of Actor.
  • Converting a model with an iProp Helper to become a custom iProp. Please refer to Creating Animation Helper and Prop Animation with Helper sections for more information about Helper.

Same Behaviors

  • The child node follows the parent's transform data - R / T (not optional)
  • The child can still be transformed after linking.
  • Picking the bone nodes directly is possible.
  • The child node follows the parent's transform data - R / T / S (optional)
  • The child can still be transformed after attaching.
  • Picking the bone nodes directly is possible.

Picking Parent/Child

  • Single click to pick the parent or the child.
  • When the parent is not selected, right-clicking on the child node will turn on its right-click menu.
  • Single click on the parent or the child to pick the grouped object.
  • Double click to pick the child.
  • When the parent is not selected, right-clicking on the child node will turn on its right-click menu.

Generating Keys in Timeline

  • Available.
  • Not Available.

Saving Relations in Project

  • Available.
  • Available.

Multiple Objects

  • Supported.
  • Supported.

Saving Parent to Library

  • Parent-child relation is broken.
  • Only parent is saved.
  • Parent-child relation is saved.

Auto Align Position to Parent

  • Not Available.
  • Align Position to Parent option in the Link to Sub-Node dialog must be activated manually.
  • Not Available.
  • Align Position to Parent option in the Attach to Sub-Node dialog must be activated manually.

Prop to Actor

  • The prop remains a prop.
  • The prop converts to an accessory.

Levels

  • Multiple levels available.
  • Recursive linking is forbidden.
  • Multiple levels available.
  • Merging parent and child into a new object allows the attachment of more children.

Hierarchy in Scene Manager

  • No change.
  • Changes.
  • Child is moved under the parent node.

iProp Behavior

  • Double-click to pick the child and use the Right-click Menu.
  • Double-click to pick the child and use the Right-click Menu.