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Nova Bounds

by Novacrat·Workflow

Images © Novacrat. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Nova Bounds stands out in the Superhive library for pairing real-time bounding box measurement with hierarchy-aware selection tools in a single addon, backed by automatic performance handling for heavy scenes.

What is Nova Bounds?

Nova Bounds is a Blender addon focused on multi-object selection and real-time bounding box manipulation. It provides instant, interactive bounding boxes for any number of selected objects, letting you visualize dimensions, adjust overall size on the fly, and choose from multiple calculation modes, pivot options, and global or aligned coordinates.

Beyond measurement, it adds bound selections for hierarchy management: one-click auto-inclusion of children, parents, or siblings, plus direct collection selection from the Outliner. Color-coded overlays indicate selection relationships, and a see-through display keeps selections visible even through occluding geometry.

Automatic performance optimization keeps the viewport smooth in dense scenes, with customizable overlay and bounding box visuals and flexible display modes. It's designed for daily professional use across scenes of any complexity.

Who is Nova Bounds best for?

Nova Bounds is best for blender artists who regularly select, measure, and reposition multiple objects and manage complex hierarchies and collections.

How much does Nova Bounds cost?

Nova Bounds is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Multiple calculation modes — overall bounds, bounding box centers, or object origins
  • Flexible orientation in global world space or aligned to the active object's rotation, with a precise-or-fast calculation toggle
  • Interactive dimension adjustment — resize and reposition objects on the fly using a chosen pivot (bounds center, active object, or 3D cursor), with real-time measurements in scene units
  • Auto-include relationships for children, parents, or siblings at immediate or full hierarchy depth, plus sibling name filtering
  • Direct collection selection from the Outliner with full hierarchy support, and one-click commits to transfer bound selections into direct selections
  • Color-coded relationship overlays with see-through display, keeping selections visible even when obscured by geometry
  • Automatic performance management and flexible display modes including filled overlays, bounding boxes, or point displays

Tags

#bounding box#selection#hierarchy#Outliner#scene management#overlay#Blender addon

Frequently asked questions

Does Nova Bounds work with Blender's Outliner for collection and hierarchy selection?

Nova Bounds supports direct collection selection from the Outliner with full hierarchy support, and adds bound selections that auto-include children, parents, or siblings at immediate or full hierarchy depth. Sibling name filtering selects related objects by matching names, and one-click commits transfer a bound selection into a direct selection. The developer notes that selection synchronization between multiple Outliner windows may be inconsistent, and combining viewport and Outliner selections at the same time can produce inconsistent results, both due to Blender API constraints.

Can Nova Bounds measure and resize multiple objects at the same time?

Nova Bounds provides interactive bounding boxes for any number of selected objects and shows real-time measurements in scene units as you work. You can adjust overall size on the fly and reposition objects using a chosen pivot point—bounds center, active object, or the 3D cursor. Calculation modes cover overall bounds, bounding box centers, or object origins, and orientation can be set to global world space or aligned to the active object's rotation. A precise-or-fast toggle lets you trade accuracy for speed based on your needs.

What are the known limitations of Nova Bounds in Blender?

Nova Bounds lists a few known limitations tied to Blender's API. Selection synchronization between multiple Outliner windows may be inconsistent, and combining selections in the viewport and Outliner simultaneously can produce inconsistent results. In Eevee shading mode, the bounds overlay might be hidden when viewport overlays are disabled. The developer invites users who run into issues to get in touch, to determine whether they can be resolved or whether they reflect Blender API limitations.

Is Nova Bounds free to use?

Nova Bounds is listed as free in this catalog. For current licensing terms and any usage conditions, check the developer's page, since details can change over time. The addon is built for daily professional use across scenes of any complexity, with automatic performance management that maintains smooth viewport performance in heavy scenes, plus customizable overlays, bounding box visuals, and display modes including filled overlays, bounding boxes, or point displays.

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