I am playing with a line of flies - like fishing flies. First I make the hackel using AnythingGrows, then convert to vertex so the final fly is one object, shading layer list, etc. The only problem is that it becomes a big object. I did it this way to make it easy to resize and use in a scene, I can also animate it without worries with AG loosing its parent object. Any ideas on how to decrease size and for making AG work with animations easier? R.

Never Give Up!

I can answer my own question now. Feel like a big boy. Groups, I just needed to put the fly into a group, the AG objects, etc. No need to make one vertex object unless I want to animate with bones. In a group, they move. The group is also my solution to multiple instances of boned and animated characters in a scene. I have a need to animate geese flying in a v-formation. I make one goose, boned, animated with a very long repeated flight, wings flapping, head bobbing, mouth, feet, etc. save it. Then load it in another scene, it comes in grouped, I delete the light and camera, then just move the GROUP around. I can do this for as many geese as I need. Just keep importing the one goose, move it around as a group, play with the tweener if I need a different look - timing. Is this how everyone else does it? : )

Never Give Up!

Grouping is very powerful, indeed! Sounds like a great approach. The flies above look great, too.