Meshes or Props?

[nifa]

Hi,

let's say I have a two different roofs and to different types of walls, and I want to combine them with randomly. I could make 4 different meshes and export them as dae or I could make two roofs and add each possible wall type as props (or the other way round), having again 4 (but smaller) meshes. Is there one solution which is preferable? Should it depend on how to better use textures?

Secondly, is there a way to randomize inside a variant of an actor xml? So let's say each wall type should have 2 possible roofs, and on each roof there could be 2 different types of chimneys with two different types of smoke. Now I want to make every combination possible. I know I could make one variant after the other, but that would be an endless list since there so many possible combinations. And if possible, what would be the code?

Thanks in advance:)

[Stan`]

1 hour ago, nifa said:

let's say I have a two different roofs and to different types of walls, and I want to combine them with randomly. I could make 4 different meshes and export them as dae or I could make two roofs and add each possible wall type as props (or the other way round), having again 4 (but smaller) meshes. Is there one solution which is preferable? Should it depend on how to better use textures?

Ideally one set of textures for all the buildings. Spec Normal Diffuse. And one to four aos. If four aos make sure to reduce their size. If one it can probably fit in a 1024x1024 textures.

Props have the advantage that they can be switched dynamically through code, but they cost more drawcalls.

In the future drawcalls will be reduced drastically with  https://code.wildfiregames.com/D2938

but until then it's better to reserve props for things that adapt to terrain or change through code.

1 hour ago, nifa said:

Secondly, is there a way to randomize inside a variant of an actor xml? So let's say each wall type should have 2 possible roofs, and on each roof there could be 2 different types of chimneys with two different types of smoke. Now I want to make every combination possible. I know I could make one variant after the other, but that would be an endless list since there so many possible combinations. And if possible, what would be the code?

Only way I know is using many variants or props.