[Q] How can I purge the skatter objects in a scene?

[optimaforever]

Hello Thomas,

I have several unused instances in a scene that causes problems I'm afraid.
When I skatter new elements in a scene, they keep the name of previously deleted skatter elements.
Is there a way to purge a scene from unused skatter objects?

[jiminy-billy-bob]

You can't delete them?

[optimaforever]

I can delete the skatter layers from the list but it seems that the ghosts of skattered objects remain in the scene memory. I can't purge them via the purge script.

[jiminy-billy-bob]

How do you see these ghosts?

[optimaforever]

The # after the compo name.

[jiminy-billy-bob]

These are the names of the components definitions. Skatter set them when it loads the components, but you can change them as you want in Sketchup's Components dialog.

[NigeC]

yes I've seen this, but this is a fresh scene with nothing deleted

[optimaforever]

yes.
But the original aren't in the skp anymore. So I don't understand why SU keeps the old ones.
I suppose it did , otherwise there's no interest SU increased the #, each time, as I spend my time purging all compos...
And I often get 2x 3x the same compo in the skatter and when I try to delete the #2#3#4 etc. Skatter soesn't update the live preview anymore (and the ruby console doesn't update neither). I'm forced to close the skatter window, reopen skatter list and re-edit the skatter again.

[jiminy-billy-bob]

So the #1 doesn't appear in the Components dialog?

[optimaforever]

So the #1 doesn't appear in the Components dialog?

it happens when I delete a skatter (then purge the unused compos of the scene) and re-use the same preset for a new skatter. Then the #1-tagged skatter objects appear. If I delete the skatter and recreate a new skatter again with the same preset, there are new #2#3-tagged skatter objects that appear.
When I try to use the purge script, it says there's no compo nor texture to purge from the scene.
Very strange. And I can't see the hidden locked compos that I saw in a previous project (as I reported to you in another thread). I guess they must be locked and hidden somewhere... hence I can't purge them.
Perhaps should you propose a "purge unused skatter objects from scene" button in the options, that would unlock these objects so purge command can operate successfully?