Alias keeps track of every aspect of the scene in a hierarchical data structure. You can view representations of this structure through the SBD (scene block diagram) or through the Object Lister.

Curves, surfaces, groupings, transformations, components, lights, and everything else in the scene is represented by nodes in the hierarchy.

You may want to use the Object Lister in the following circumstances:

• In complex models, it can be easier to pick objects in the Object Lister than in a view window.
• The Object Lister shows important information that has no visual equivalent in the view windows, such as how the components and objects are grouped, and how they relate to modeling layers.
• The Object Lister lets you confirm the effects of tools and menu items on the internal structure of the scene to help diagnose problems.