# Make and edit components

Turn parts into a component whose copies stay identical, edit it in place, nest components, and group or ungroup parts.

KerfCraft has two ways to keep parts together:

- A **group** is a folder. Copies of a group are independent.
- A **component** is a reusable part. Its copies are instances: when you edit one instance, all of them change.

## Make a component

1. Select the parts. Hold Shift and click to add parts to the selection.
2. In the **Properties** panel, click **Make component**.

You can also right-click the selection and click **Make component**. A generated part cannot be a component on its own: make its whole assembly a component.

The **Properties** panel of an instance shows the component name and the number of instances.

## Make copies

Use one of these methods. Each copy is an instance of the same component.

- Press Ctrl+D (⌘D on a Mac) to duplicate it beside the original.
- Copy and paste it.
- Use the **✥ Move** tool and press Ctrl or Alt (⌥ on a Mac) to copy. After a copy, type `x3` to make 3 copies in a row. KerfCraft then selects the original and all the copies.

## Edit a component

1. Double-click an instance in the viewport, or select it and click **Edit**.
2. Change the parts inside it. Everything else is grey.
3. Press Esc, or click **Done (Esc)** in the banner at the top of the viewport.

Each change goes to every instance. New parts that you make while you edit go into the component.

## Nest a component

A part inside a component can be a component of its own, for example a handle on a door.

1. Double-click the outer component to edit it.
2. Select the part inside it.
3. Click **Make component**.

To edit the inner component, edit the outer one, then double-click the inner one. Press Esc, or click **Up (Esc)** in the banner, to go out one level. A change to the inner component changes it everywhere, also inside each instance of the outer one.

## Make one instance different

- To give one instance its own copy of the component, select it and click **Make unique**. It stays a component. This button shows only when the component has more than one instance.
- To turn one instance back into ordinary parts, click **Explode**, or right-click it and click **Explode component**.

## Group and ungroup

- To group the selection, press Ctrl+G (⌘G on a Mac), or right-click it and click **Group selection**.
- To ungroup, select the group and press Ctrl+Shift+G (⇧⌘G on a Mac), or right-click it and click **Ungroup**.
- To make an empty group, right-click an empty area of the **Model** tree and click **New group**.

Ungroup works only on a plain group. It does not work on a component or a generated assembly.

## Move parts into a group or a component

1. Right-click the parts.
2. Click **Move to**, then click the group or the component.

You can also drag the parts in the **Model** tree. If the target is a component with more than one instance, KerfCraft asks you first. The parts then go into every instance.

## Related

- [Reuse components in another project](/docs/how-to/furniture/reuse-components-in-another-project/)
- [Make doors and drawers open](/docs/how-to/furniture/make-doors-and-drawers-open/)