How to create tree with empty branches?

I must be missing something obvious here, but I'm stumped:

I want to create a fairly simple tree structure with six branches, each of which may or may not contain any data.

For instance, I have 6 curve parameters, each of which contains zero to many curves. I want to combine them into a tree with 6 branches, each branch containing the curves in one of the parameters (or remaining empty -- but present -- if the param is empty).

I naively assumed that just "shift-dragging" into one parameter would do that, but of course null (empty) items are ignored. I plowed through a wealth of tree components, but can't seem to get anything to work.

What am I missing?

Thanks!

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Chris Tietjen on February 8, 2012 at 7:00pm

Does this help?

Permalink Reply by Dave Johnson on February 9, 2012 at 11:10am

Thanks Chris, that helps enormously. In fact, I left out the Nulls, and it still makes a tree structure, with empty branches Perfect! (I admit that I had eyed the Entwine component, but didn't try it...D'oh!

Thanks again.

Permalink Reply by David Rutten on February 9, 2012 at 1:35am

Another idea, always add a line segment first to every branch, then afterwards remove the first item in every branch. Not ideal I'll admit, but it might work.

David Rutten

david@mcneel.com

Poprad, Slovakia

Permalink Reply by Dave Johnson on February 9, 2012 at 11:21am

Thanks, David. So far Entwine seems to do what I need, but I'll keep this trick in my back pocket.

Incidentally, the bigger picture is this: I have a big nasty grasshopper patch (see screen shot) that has 6 copies of 2 big functional groups, and that makes it very hard to change and maintain. I'm hoping to use tree structures to manage the data flow instead, and have only one copy each of the functional groups.

Permalink Reply by Danny Boyes on February 9, 2012 at 11:41am

With correct data management this not necessary. Are you able to post the definition or email?

Permalink Reply by Dave Johnson on February 9, 2012 at 12:24pm

Exactly, Danny: I'm hoping to insert a little "correct data management" to make this beast easier to maintain in the future. I don't want to post the whole thing, but if I have trouble with data management, rest assured I'll be back here asking questions...

Permalink Reply by Danny Boyes on February 9, 2012 at 12:31pm

Of course. I've sent you a friend request with my email address if you wish.

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