Assemble Set in a Model or in a Cho?

[largento]

I'm in the process of building a set and it occurred to me to wonder if I should assemble all the pieces of the set into one model file that can be dropped whole into a cho, or should I keep the pieces of it in separate model files and then assemble all of those inside a cho file?

 

The elements will all remain static (nothing will need to move around.)

 

Will it make a difference?

[robcat2075]

if I should assemble all the pieces of the set into one model file that can be dropped whole into a cho, or should I keep the pieces of it in separate model files and then assemble all of those inside a cho file?

 

One advantage of keeping them separate is you can temporarily hide parts that you aren't animating to. Faster real time response.

 

The TWO set makers have been doing clever things with Action Objects to build up their sets. Maybe one of them will step in here to explain

[KenH]

The basic stuff should be in the model.....things like walls and ceilings. Then make an action with that model. Now you can drag other models into that action ....say you call that action "interacting props"......you can drag in all the stuff your character interacts with in the shot. Other props can be put in another action.

 

Now you can drag your basic wall model into the chor, drop the "interacting props" onto it and voila, all your props will be in the right place in the chor. Then optionally you can drag your other props action onto it.....or leave it till animation is done.

 

If you go for separate models for props then make sure they're all the right scale. You can scale/rotate/move it in the action, but it's handier.

[largento]

Thanks, Robert. I hadn't even thought of that. That makes me think that I should break up my set into even more pieces than I originally planned to.

 

Now I'm curious about these Action Objects...

 

EDIT-- That was fast! I didn't even have time to finish asking the question. :-)

 

Thanks, Ken... Something to think about... especially for the more complex sets.

[R Reynolds]

Going down the action objects road is also an advantage if your archtecture has a lot of identical repeated details, elaborate columns for instance. You can build one really high density model and then add multiple copies of it in your assembly.act.

[largento]

Rodger, do you take less of a hit at render time by having multiple instances of an object as opposed to having pasted multiple copies into the model? (Like using symbols in Flash?)