tool.Geometry method for adding a data to an empty object

src/blenderbim/blenderbim/core/tool.py

@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ class Geometry:
     def record_object_position(cls, obj): pass
     def remove_connection(cls, connection): pass
     def rename_object(cls, obj, name): pass
-    def replace_object_with_empty(cls, obj): pass
+    def recreate_object_with_data(cls, obj, data): pass
     def replace_object_data_globally(cls, old_data, new_data): pass
     def resolve_mapped_representation(cls, representation): pass
     def run_geometry_update_representation(cls, obj=None): pass

src/blenderbim/blenderbim/tool/geometry.py

@@ -690,13 +690,20 @@ class Geometry(blenderbim.core.tool.Geometry):
         obj.name = name
 
     @classmethod
-    def replace_object_with_empty(cls, obj: bpy.types.Object) -> None:
-        """Recreate a Blender object as an empty object.
+    def recreate_object_with_data(cls, obj: bpy.types.Object, data: Union[bpy.types.ID, None]) -> bpy.types.Object:
+        """Recreate a Blender object with the provided `data`.
 
         This method is useful when an object should no longer have associated
-        data (in Blender, you cannot simply assign .data to None). Note that the
-        object's original data is not handled by this method and should be
+        data (in Blender, you cannot simply assign .data to None).
+        Or if object is an empty and should now have a data.
+
+        The object's original data is not handled by this method and should be
         processed separately to avoid leaving orphan data.
+
+        Original `obj` is deleted and becomes invalid and should be replaced
+        with an object returned by this method.
+
+        :return: The newly recreated object.
         """
         element = tool.Ifc.get_entity(obj)
         name = obj.name
@@ -704,7 +711,7 @@ class Geometry(blenderbim.core.tool.Geometry):
             tool.Ifc.unlink(element=element)
 
         obj.name = ifcopenshell.guid.new()
-        new_obj = bpy.data.objects.new(name, None)
+        new_obj = bpy.data.objects.new(name, data)
 
         if element:
             tool.Ifc.link(element, new_obj)
@@ -712,6 +719,7 @@ class Geometry(blenderbim.core.tool.Geometry):
             collection.objects.link(new_obj)
         new_obj.matrix_world = obj.matrix_world
         bpy.data.objects.remove(obj)
+        return new_obj
 
     @classmethod
     def resolve_mapped_representation(
@@ -885,7 +893,7 @@ class Geometry(blenderbim.core.tool.Geometry):
 
         # `representation` is the only representation for object.
         if new_representation is None:
-            cls.replace_object_with_empty(obj)
+            cls.recreate_object_with_data(obj, None)
             return
 
         blenderbim.core.geometry.switch_representation(

src/blenderbim/test/core/test_geometry.py

@@ -321,9 +321,9 @@ class TestRemoveRepresentation:
         geometry.has_data_users("data").should_be_called().will_return(True)
         geometry.get_elements_of_type("type").should_be_called().will_return(["element"])
         ifc.get_object("element").should_be_called().will_return("obj")
-        geometry.replace_object_with_empty("obj").should_be_called()
+        geometry.recreate_object_with_data("obj").should_be_called()
         ifc.get_object("type").should_be_called().will_return("type_obj")
-        geometry.replace_object_with_empty("type_obj").should_be_called()
+        geometry.recreate_object_with_data("type_obj").should_be_called()
         ifc.run("geometry.unassign_representation", product="type", representation="representation").should_be_called()
         ifc.run("geometry.remove_representation", representation="representation").should_be_called()
         geometry.delete_data("data").should_be_called()
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ class TestRemoveRepresentation:
         geometry.get_element_type("element").should_be_called().will_return(None)
         geometry.get_representation_data("representation").should_be_called().will_return("data")
         geometry.has_data_users("data").should_be_called().will_return(True)
-        geometry.replace_object_with_empty("obj").should_be_called()
+        geometry.recreate_object_with_data("obj").should_be_called()
         ifc.run(
             "geometry.unassign_representation", product="element", representation="representation"
         ).should_be_called()
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ class TestRemoveRepresentation:
         geometry.is_type_product("element").should_be_called().will_return(False)
         geometry.get_representation_data("representation").should_be_called().will_return("data")
         geometry.has_data_users("data").should_be_called().will_return(True)
-        geometry.replace_object_with_empty("obj").should_be_called()
+        geometry.recreate_object_with_data("obj").should_be_called()
         ifc.run(
             "geometry.unassign_representation", product="element", representation="representation"
         ).should_be_called()

src/blenderbim/test/tool/test_geometry.py

@@ -375,6 +375,7 @@ class TestRenameObject(NewFile):
         assert obj.name == "name"
 
 
+# TODO: add a test
 class TestReplaceObjectWithEmpty(NewFile):
     def test_run(self):
         ifc = ifcopenshell.file()
@@ -384,7 +385,7 @@ class TestReplaceObjectWithEmpty(NewFile):
         bpy.context.scene.collection.objects.link(obj)
         element = ifc.createIfcWall()
         tool.Ifc.link(element, obj)
-        subject.replace_object_with_empty(obj)
+        subject.recreate_object_with_data(obj, None)
         obj = bpy.data.objects.get("Object")
         assert obj.users_collection[0] == bpy.context.scene.collection
         assert tool.Ifc.get_entity(obj) == element