Allow selecting a container object when changing spatial container

src/blenderbim/blenderbim/bim/module/spatial/operator.py

@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ class AssignContainer(bpy.types.Operator, tool.Ifc.Operator):
     bl_options = {"REGISTER", "UNDO"}
 
     def _execute(self, context):
-        if container := tool.Root.get_default_container():
+        props = context.active_object.BIMObjectSpatialProperties
+        if (container_obj := props.container_obj) and (container := tool.Ifc.get_entity(container_obj)):
             for element_obj in context.selected_objects:
                 core.assign_container(
                     tool.Ifc, tool.Collector, tool.Spatial, container=container, element_obj=element_obj

src/blenderbim/blenderbim/bim/module/spatial/prop.py

@@ -64,34 +64,32 @@ def update_should_include_children(self, context):
     tool.Spatial.load_contained_elements()
 
 
-def update_relating_container_from_object(self, context):
+def update_container_obj(self, context):
-    if self.relating_container_object is None or context.active_object is None:
+    if self.container_obj is None or not (obj := context.active_object):
         return
-    element = tool.Ifc.get_entity(self.relating_container_object)
+    if not (element := tool.Ifc.get_entity(self.container_obj)):
-    if not element:
+        self.container_obj = None
         return
-    container = ifcopenshell.util.element.get_container(element)
+    if tool.Spatial.can_contain(element, obj):
-    if container:
+        return
-        # TODO: currently broken and relating_container_object is not used in UI.
+    if (
-        bpy.ops.bim.assign_container(structure=container.id())
+        (container := ifcopenshell.util.element.get_container(element))
-    else:
+        and (container_obj := tool.Ifc.get_object(container))
-        bpy.ops.bim.disable_editing_container()
+        and tool.Spatial.can_contain(container, obj)
-        bpy.ops.bim.remove_container()
+    ):
+        self.container_obj = container_obj
+        return
+    self.container_obj = None
 
 
-def is_object_applicable(self, obj):
+def poll_container_obj(self, obj):
-    element = tool.Ifc.get_entity(obj)
+    return obj is None or tool.Ifc.get_entity(obj)
-    return bool(element)
 
 
 class BIMObjectSpatialProperties(PropertyGroup):
     is_editing: BoolProperty(name="Is Editing")
-    relating_container_object: PointerProperty(
+    container_obj: PointerProperty(
-        type=bpy.types.Object,
+        type=bpy.types.Object, name="Container", update=update_container_obj, poll=poll_container_obj
-        name="Copy Container",
-        update=update_relating_container_from_object,
-        poll=is_object_applicable,
-        description="Copy the target object's container to the active object",
     )
 
 

src/blenderbim/blenderbim/bim/module/spatial/ui.py

@@ -36,10 +36,6 @@ class BIM_PT_spatial(Panel):
         return SpatialData.data["poll"]
 
     def draw(self, context):
-        # TODO: expose relating_container_object so users could
-        # assign container without switching default container back and forth
-        # just for 1 operation.
-
         if not SpatialData.is_loaded:
             SpatialData.load()
 
@@ -48,8 +44,8 @@ class BIM_PT_spatial(Panel):
         if osprops.is_editing:
             if SpatialData.data["default_container"]:
                 row = self.layout.row(align=True)
-                row.label(text=f"Target: {SpatialData.data['default_container']}", icon="OUTLINER_COLLECTION")
+                row.prop(osprops, "container_obj", text="", icon="OUTLINER_COLLECTION")
-                row.operator("bim.assign_container", icon="CHECKMARK", text="Reassign Container")
+                row.operator("bim.assign_container", icon="CHECKMARK", text="")
                 row.operator("bim.disable_editing_container", icon="CANCEL", text="")
 
             if SpatialData.data["selected_containers"]:
@@ -82,14 +78,14 @@ class BIM_PT_spatial(Panel):
                 row.label(text="No Spatial Container")
                 row.operator("bim.enable_editing_container", icon="GREASEPENCIL", text="")
 
-        references = SpatialData.data["references"]
+            if references := SpatialData.data["references"]:
-        if references:
+                self.layout.label(text=f"{len(references)} References:")
-            self.layout.label(text="Referenced In Structures:")
+            else:
+                self.layout.label(text="No References Found")
+
             for reference in references:
                 row = self.layout.row()
                 row.label(text=reference, icon="LINKED")
-        else:
-            self.layout.label(text="No References In Structures")
 
 
 class BIM_PT_spatial_decomposition(Panel):

src/blenderbim/blenderbim/core/spatial.py

@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ def assign_container(
 
 
 def enable_editing_container(spatial: tool.Spatial, obj: bpy.types.Object) -> None:
+    spatial.set_target_container_as_default()
     spatial.enable_editing(obj)
 
 

src/blenderbim/blenderbim/tool/spatial.py

@@ -887,3 +887,13 @@ class Spatial(blenderbim.core.tool.Spatial):
             if (element := tool.Ifc.get_entity(obj)) and not tool.Root.is_spatial_element(element):
                 results.append(obj)
         return results
+
+    @classmethod
+    def set_target_container_as_default(cls) -> None:
+        if (
+            (container := tool.Root.get_default_container())
+            and (obj := tool.Ifc.get_object(container))
+            and bpy.context.active_object
+        ):
+            props = bpy.context.active_object.BIMObjectSpatialProperties
+            props.container_obj = obj