Some Selection questions

[Macha]

I have selection questions:

-I have a scene with many assets nested into each other. I want to prevent some of those assets to be selectable. It doesn't seem to work from the top level. Instead I have to dive down into the nodes until I reach the desired nodes, unflag them (sometimes more than one). How can I do that from the topmost level (say, everything in a subnet)?

-Selecting objects always dives into the network by default. what preference prevents this?

[sam.h]

I have selection questions:

-I have a scene with many assets nested into each other. I want to prevent some of those assets to be selectable. It doesn't seem to work from the top level. Instead I have to dive down into the nodes until I reach the desired nodes, unflag them (sometimes more than one). How can I do that from the topmost level (say, everything in a subnet)?

The parameter spreadsheet is great for this, check it out!

(select things in the tree, or use the pattern to automatically slect things; then right click for some settings or use the parm thingy to the right to set more specific stuff)

-Selecting objects always dives into the network by default. what preference prevents this?

If you don't want a network view or scene view to change with selction, use the pin button (next to the context dropdown on scene and netwrok view).

[eyevex]

Im not sure about how to make all the children unselectable, but there would be several scripting routes for this if all else fails...

There seems to be a preferance under the Objects and Geometry Tab ... "Select Entire Digital Asset By Default", or according to the help "Select Entire Subnet by Default", however in the build im using I dont see any result to toggling it on with a subnet at the obj level filled with nodes or an previously created HDA... I could be misinterperting what this does or it could be busted in the somewhat older build Im using, but you might want to give it a try....

[eyevex]

If you don't want a network view or scene view to change with selction, use the pin button (next to the context dropdown on scene and netwrok view).

Pinning the pane as far as i know will keep if from displaying the child node on selection... but I dont think will select the parent node instead...

[kubabuk]

I have selection questions:

-I have a scene with many assets nested into each other. I want to prevent some of those assets to be selectable. It doesn't seem to work from the top level. Instead I have to dive down into the nodes until I reach the desired nodes, unflag them (sometimes more than one). How can I do that from the topmost level (say, everything in a subnet)?

How about a shelftool script which dsiables selction on nodes picked in the viewport

import toolutils
a=toolutils.sceneViewer()
a.enterCurrentNodeState()
selected = hou.selectedNodes()
#print selected

for node in  selected:
    node.setSelectableInViewport(0)

[graham]

Depending on how much control you want and where you want to be able to control from, I'd probably use a simple recursive function that just kept disabling the selection of child objects.

def recursiveDisableObjectSelection(obj_node):
    """ Disable the ability to select an object node and any of
        its children in the viewport.
    """
    # Skip manager nodes.
    if obj_node.type().isManager():
        return

    if not isinstance(obj_node, hou.ObjNode):
        raise hou.TypeError("Node is not an object.")

    obj_node.setSelectableInViewport(False)

    if obj_node.childTypeCategory() == hou.objNodeTypeCategory():
        for child in obj_node.children():
            recursiveDisableObjectSelection(child)

Such a function could easily be further extended to filter based on node types or names so as to only disable certain nodes. You could then run the function from a shelf tool or OPmenu wrapper.

Edited June 29, 2011 by graham

[foetz]

I have a scene with many assets nested into each other. I want to prevent some of those assets to be selectable. It doesn't seem to work from the top level. Instead I have to dive down into the nodes until I reach the desired nodes, unflag them (sometimes more than one). How can I do that from the topmost level (say, everything in a subnet)?

i keep running into the same issue. i already asked there https://www.sidefx.com/forum/topic/69865/ and got no reply at all.
hard to believe houdini fails at such a basic task.

[bunker]

sorry, I read your sidefx forum post after replying... ignore me

Edited July 3, 2020 by bunker

[foetz]

oh please, by all means, do reply. all i'm looking for is a way to recursively select objects. gui or script is both fine.
to illustrate, in maya that's as simple as:

select -r "*bolt*"

or even simpler, i can just use the textfield in the upper right corner.