The Comparison of Linking and Attaching

Linking

Attaching

When to Use

• Passing an object from one parent node to another in a specific time.

• Changing the camera's view to another actor's or object's view.

• Having the light to move with another moving object.

• Creating a merged object and add it into the Custom library of Props.

• Adding an actor with accessories into the Custom library of Actor.

• Please refer to Prop Animation with Helper sections for more information.

Same Behaviors

• The child node follows the parent's transform data - R/T (no option)

• The child can still be transformed after linking.

• Picking the bone nodes directly is available.

• 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 available.

Picking Parent/Child

• Single click to pick the parent, as well as the child.

• When the parent is not selected, right click on the child node will turn on it's 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 click on the child node will turn on it's 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 box in the Link to Sub-Node dialog must be checked manually.

• Not Available.

• Align Position to Parent box in the Attach to Sub-Node dialog must be checked manually.

Prop to Actor

• The prop remains a prop.

• The prop converts to an accessory.

Levels

• Multiple levels available.

• Recursive linking is forbidden.

• One level only.

• Merging parent and child as one new object allows to attach more children.

• The merged child becomes a permanent component of the parent and is no longer able to be detached nor transformed.

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.