The Group node is a powerful organizational tool that allows you to create named selections of shapes or even specific points on a path. These named groups can then be targeted by other nodes, like Transform or Color, to apply modifications to only a subset of the geometry flowing through the graph.

This is fundamental for complex designs where you need to animate or style different parts of a character or object independently.

Parameters

Group Types

The Group node has several methods for defining its members:

• Manual Selection: This is the default mode. It allows you to use a selection tool on the canvas to manually pick entire shapes or individual points on a path. Use Shift + Drag to add to your selection and Alt + Drag to remove from it.

• Pattern: This mode selects shapes based on a name-matching pattern. The following special characters can be used:

  Pattern	Description
  *	Wildcard. Matches any number of characters (e.g., leg*).
  ^	Exclusion. Placed at the start to exclude matching items (e.g., * ^leg_foot).
  ,	Separator. Used to combine multiple patterns (e.g., Circle 1, Star 1).

• Bounding Box: This mode selects any shapes or points that fall within a defined rectangular area. You can enable Partial Selection to include shapes that only partially intersect the box.

• Random Selection: This mode works on a point-by-point basis. It selects points randomly based on a Seed and a Probability value, allowing for organic, scattered selections.

See also

• Group invert
• Group expand