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How do you add an already existing Geometry Node tree to an object without making a new tree? Adding geo nodes as a modifier automatically creates a new tree named Geometry Nodes.xxx. Assume I have no objects but some fake user geo node trees, so Copy Modifiers are not an option.

EDIT: Desired result: Add a Geometry Nodes modifier without creating a new tree.

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  • $\begingroup$ Not necessarily. You can add empty material slots without creating a new material. $\endgroup$
    – Benus
    Jan 21, 2022 at 14:03

4 Answers 4

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You can't have a Geometry Node tree associated with an object unless you have added a GeometryNodes modifier to that object. That's just how Geometry Nodes work.

You can, however, create the 2nd GeometryNodes modifier already containing the tree in a single step, without having to explicitly add it; after a preparatory step:

  • Prep: Select the destination object. Shift Select the source object. Go to the modifiers tab in the property editor.

  • Copy: Click the drop down in the GeometryNodes header and select Copy to Selected

Geometry Nodes dropdown menu showing copy to selected highlighted

This, of course, works for any modifier.

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You can specify the exact geometry node group used by clicking in the modifier, on the button with a tooltip reading "Browse node group to be linked."

enter image description here

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  • $\begingroup$ But this requires you to add a geometry node modifier, which as I say in my question, creates a new geometry node tree, which I don't want. I know this is fussy, but I don't want to keep creating empty geo node trees. $\endgroup$
    – Benus
    Jan 20, 2022 at 23:37
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    $\begingroup$ If you change the node group, they should get deleted as unlinked data on next save/reload. Same as unused materials etc. $\endgroup$
    – Nathan
    Jan 20, 2022 at 23:51
  • $\begingroup$ @Benus As Nathan said, unlinked data like the new node tree after deleting from the modifier will be gone with the next reload. If you can't wait for this simply go to File > Clean Up > Unused Data-Blocks. If you don't want to generate lots of empty GeoNode trees because it becomes confusing with all the Geometry Nodes.xxx and you don't know which is which, just do what most of the tutors on Youtube recommend: rename things so that you know what they're doing and you can find them more easily in complex scenes. Nathan's answer is the absolutely sufficient solution (with his comment). $\endgroup$ Jan 21, 2022 at 8:30
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I'm going give a slightly modified answer given by Marty Fouts. My desired result of adding a geometry node modifier without creating a new tree might not be possible without an addon.

You can add your first Geo Node modifier which creates an empty tree. Remove the tree from the modifier. Select another object (could be an unused reserve object to hold a geo node modifier without a tree). Copy the modifier over to the new object(s). Then you can go to each object and select a pre-existing geo nodes tree (appended or from startup). This method still creates 1 empty geo nodes tree instead of multiple from each object you add a geo nodes modifier to, this can be deleted in the Outliner > Blender File > Node Groups, or left and ignored.

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  • $\begingroup$ You've just added extra steps. You can do the copying directly from the first object. Delete its tree, and put the one you want in its place. Then use that object for the copying. Bonus points if it's the first object you want the new tree on, since you don't have to delete anything in that case. $\endgroup$ Jan 21, 2022 at 1:06
  • $\begingroup$ Yes, but if you have lots of different geo nodes to add on. It would probably be easier and less prone to crashing if you copy over an empty modifier to other objects. This makes it easier to select the other objects as the geometry is unmodified, and if its a complex geometry node, that's something you wouldn't want to copy over to many objects. $\endgroup$
    – Benus
    Jan 21, 2022 at 1:11
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This "bug" has been fixed with Blender 3.2.

Now a new node tree is no longer automatically created as soon as the modifier is added.

The release notes state:

Adding a new Geometry Nodes modifier from the modifier panel doesn't automatically populate it with a new node tree anymore (08b4b657b6).

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