How do you group 'permanently' a group of parts?

[DrJB]

I've tried this repeatedly but to no avail. Is there a way to group parts such that, if I click one and move it, they all move together?

There are obvious benefits to this of course ...

[Heppeng]

One way would be to make all the parts the one colour, select that and move it.

By the way, there is plenty you can do in LDD that you can't do in real life (and vice versa), so be careful, something that works in LDD is not proof, mathematical or otherwise...

Edited February 23, 2014 by Heppeng

[Gnac]

This sounds like a job for...

GROUPS!

Click on any preview in the group palette to highlight all the parts at once. Dragging any one of those highlighted parts will allow them all to be moved or rotated as one. It's also spiffy for quick recolouring, or hiding parts to get at the creamy filling of your model.

Of course, you will have to create the grouped items first, but the time saved doing it once will make the future workflow much more enjoyable.

EDIT: Heh, I didn't see Calabar's post while I was adding all new stuff to this.

Edited February 23, 2014 by Gnac

[Calabar]

LDD has a grouping function.

You can create, edit and delete groups.

From the "groups" tab, you can select a whole group and then move it together. This reuires the extra operation of select the group before moving it.

There is no way to permanently group parts so that these behave as a single part.

[gertman]

Hey I've been using LDD 4.3 for about 2 months now on and off. I'm taking a model someone put on the internet and changing it before I build it for real. I have a few problems that I thought might be sorted by groups so I thought this topic was close. So here are my questions:

1. Is there a button a 'show' button? Or just the 'show all' ?

2. What about with groups? Is there a way to show and hide groups separately?

3. I am adding bricks in that were left out by the original creator of the model. So when I try to generate build instruction it seems that pieces are being added randomly instead of logically from the bottom up. Is there a solution for this? I saw the thread on using groups to make more manageable smaller building instructions so that is what I am starting to do. Any other advice on this?

4. GROUPS!!! Really I would like some more explanation on them and at least how Lego intended them to be used. AND what are the benefits of making sub-groups?

Thank you very much in advance!!

Edited May 23, 2014 by gertman

[Calabar]

1. If you use the "Hide Tool", on the top right appears a "Show All" button.
   
2. It is possible to hide groups separately (click on the group and then on the Hide Tool), but it is not possible to show groups separately.
   
3. Unfortunately LDD Instructions are not the state of the art. There are anyway some techniques you can try to apply. Take a look at the Section Index here.
   
4. It is simply a way to group parts. It is useful during the building stage (you can easily select and move parts of your model) and to explore a finished model. For example, in a modular building, you can create a top level group for each floor, and subgroups for furniture or movable elements such as a lift.
   

[GregoryBrick]

4. GROUPS!!! Really I would like some more explanation on them and at least how Lego intended them to be used. AND what are the benefits of making sub-groups?

I find subgroups useful for parts that often go together and are rarely taken apart when (re)designing:

• Minifigures
  
• Rims and tyres and sometimes axles
  
• Hinges
  
• Stems and flowers
  
• Frames and doors/windows
  
• Chain links/tambour doors