Simple question about a general modding principle...

[Maethori]

I've looked around, and I haven't found an answer to this question. Maybe I have seen it, but it wasn't worded in a way I connected with my subject...but here goes...

When modeling, is it proper/allowed/okay to make one model out of several sections that are not linked, but having them overlapping? Or in other words, is it fine to have something like a rock made as one shape and a tower sunk into the rock out of another shape. Or even having overlapping parts in general. Does extruding a part through another part cause visual or other problems in the model itself?

I'm asking because I'm working on a lighthouse on a rocky shore in Blender, and I don't want to/know how to turn make the top of the rock into a flat, many sided polygon for the lighthouse to be extruded from, so I just made a separate polygon and sunk it into the rock.

This was a bit long-winded and repetitive, but any answer would be beneficial.


Thanks!

[Brutus]

That should be fine.

Just make sure the outer shapes top surfaces do not slope in towards the inner objects.   Ive seen that cause glitches in some engines.  (like a character will slide down the rock and fall IN to the tower mesh)

[Ron Losey]

I do that all the time, to save on poly count on sword hilts and such.  I've never had a problem with it.

Then again, I never tried it on buildings.  That could be a slightly different matter, considering that people will get to see them a lot closer.  Especially if you get a corner that doesn't quite overlap.

But generally, the game doesn't seem to notice.  Although it will draw the top one, so if you plan on having an inside of your lighthouse with a floor, make sure no rock shows through the floor.  (Of course, it's usually better to make interiors a different scene anyway.)

[Maethori]

Thanks for the fast answers! Now I can stop worrying that I'm doing something wrong

[Brutus]

Thanks for the fast answers! Now I can stop worrying that I'm doing something wrong

yeah, been there before.  Never left it actually.

This approach makes UV mapping a little easier too!

[Ron Losey]

Heck, most of us do stuff wrong, or backwards, or in some way substandard, at least half the time.

The difference is, we don't worry about it.

[fujiwara]

One caveat: make sure you don't have any overlaping parallel planes in your two separate meshes, or the texture will flicker as the graphics engine tries to decide which texture to render on the screen.