title: How do I change the same parameter on multiple objects efficiently in Blender?
body: <p>Starting with a single cube, I have changed some properties (material, color, reflection attributes), and then duplicated the object into a dozen cubes, placing them in the scene. After rendering, I'd like to change the color of all of them. How do I do this efficently?</p>
  
  <p>I have found multiple ways already:</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>In object mode, select all objects (<code>B</code>, then rectangular select), join the meshes <code>ctrl-j</code>, change the color, <code>tab</code> into edit mode, <code>P</code> to seperate the objects again. This is quite possible since the meshes of all my objects do not touch. <a href="http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:2.6/Manual/Modeling/Meshes" rel="noreferrer">Basics docs</a></li>
  <li>Someone wrote a Python script to do similar stuff, <a href="http://obasandbox.wordpress.com/2011/10/23/cg-blender-setting-properties-on-multiple-objects/" rel="noreferrer">here</a></li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>Number 1 is error prone and too tedious for regular use. Number 2 is more specialized and much worse. Just selecting multiple objects and changing the value does not work because the property selections apply only to the active object which is only one of those selected.</p>
  
  <p>As this is a common use case I'm probably missing the easy way. What is it?</p>