Question about model groups vs individual elements

[danj]

In one of my sequences, I sequenced the individual arches with some "on's" and "off's" and other effects earlier this year.   Now I am resetting all my sequences so they are based on model groups instead of individual elements, as strongly recommended by Gil, Dan, & others.   I was thinking about this last night--if I put my "arches" model group into this sequence, do I then need to double-click on the arches group so the individual come up, then copy/paste the effects I did earlier on the individual arches into them??  I hope this makes sense.
Thanks.

[flyinverted]

If you paste directly onto an element, a string a strand a section of a model group, then you're not really sequencing to the group.

You can have Both of Individual models and Model groups in your sequence.

I would just paste the effects to each of the individual models instead of the nested element inside the group.

Example
Arch1
Arch2
Arch3
Arch4
Arches-Group

Would be part of my sequence. Most of the time Arch1,Arch2,Arch3,Arch4 would be empty and the effects would be on Arches-Group.

If there was an effect on  Arch4 and Arches-Group at the same time, the Group would win because it is rendered last in the sequence.

[danj]

Steve--thanks.  I get it.   The reason I was asking is that I figured I would just do away with the individual elements in their entirety, so the only time I see them is when I double click on the model group.   I was thinking I probably need to cut the effects that I set on the individual elements in an earlier timeframe and paste the effects onto the same elements that have shown up after double clicking the model group.  Is this correct thinking???  In this particular case, I previously sequenced each arch with discrete on-off effects timed to turn each arch on then off based on timing in the song.  And I want to keep that set of effects in this particular case.   THANKS!!!!

[rando1957]

I have done away with most of my individual elements where that was feasible.  So I have a Driveway Arch group that I can use the group for sequencing or I open the group up for the 4 individual arches and sequence them individually. I have groups for other arches, Windows, and eaves.  In any case you can sequence at the group level or individual model level. AND at the strand or node level depending on your model. Flexibility is great.
As far as copy and paste, I think you can add your group with your models in that group and when you open (expand) the group to the individual model level, those effects you already sequenced should show up.  I do not think you need to copy / paste anything.  Backup and then try it.

[Gilrock]

There shouldn't be any difference between putting an effect on the models as expanded from a group versus putting them on the model individually on the grid.  The master view defines the render order so if you drop an effect on a sub-model under a group it still gets rendered in the order that model appears in the master view.  I don't plan on having my models on the grid if they are tucked inside groups.   Groups are a nice way to organize them so that you can collapse them.