Group Tools

shortcut CTRL + G in Object Mode to run the Group tool
shortcut SHIFT + dbl LMB in Object Mode to run the Select Group tool
shortcut 1 in the Outliner to toggle into or out of Group Mode
shortcut 2 in the Outliner to expand it
shortcut 3 in the Outliner to collapse it
shortcut 4 in the Outliner to toggle display of parenting

The Group tool-set allows for scene organization using empties as parents.

Menu

3D View Sidebar > MACHIN3 Tab > MACHIN3tools Panel > Group Tools
Object Context Menu
Modes Pie

Preferences

Group Default Preferences

Group Introduction

Select Group

Selecting Groups behaves slightly differently in Local View, and automatically brings Group objects into Local View, while avoiding Recursive Group Selection, unless forced via the CTRL mod key.

Group Relationships and Group Origin Adjustment

Group Relationships can be visualized, by drawing group hierarchies in the 3D View.
This done automatically when entering Group Origin Adjustment Mode or Outliner Group Mode.

Group Mode

Toggling into Group Mode - by default via the 1 key will now automatically toggle group selection behavior such as Group Auto Select and Group Recursive Select, as well as ensure Group Empty Visibility. This is fully adjustable in the addon preferences.

Group Mode preferences

Group Poses and Gizmos

^{DeusEx only}

In DeusEx, group empties can activate Group Gizmos - one per axis.

This allows for easy rotation of group empties, without having to select them first.
The intend here is to create a kind of very simple pseudo-rig.

Group Transform tool rotating the ears while pre-viewing a pose

What this also allows for is storing specific rotations as Group Poses, which can then easily be retrieved again later.

Setup Group Gizmos

The Setup Group Gizmos tools allow for easy setup of the group gizmos. With the tool running axes that should get a gizmo can be picked via the X Y or Z keys, or toggled based on the view's direction via the TAB key.

See the statusbar for details.

Batch Poses

Batch Poses are poses shared and linked across multiple Group Empties or a single Group Hierarchy.
Using Batch Poses the entire Group can be posed with a single button press.

The Sidebar Panel is where you can name, create (set), retrieve, update or remove poses.

Group (Batch) Poses of the active Group Empty exposed in the 3D view's sidebar

As of MACHIN3tools 1.12, Group tools and various options are exposed in the Modes Pie tool.
That includes pose access in the DeusEx, which is super convenient.

Group (Batch) Poses exposed in the Modes Pie