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How to connect modular exterior and interior walls in the most optimized way?

piratek098
polycounter lvl 2
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piratek098 polycounter lvl 2
Look here:


I'm using modular walls of 2x2 corner, 2m, 3m, and 4m walls. At first glance, the entire interior is even. I decided to scale the walls outward to ensure the interior space remains aligned with a 100cm grid. However, scaling the walls presents a problem, such as this:

As you can see, it was necessary to create 3 new modular assets, which, due to scaling, will eventually cause alignment issues, even though this allowed me to model the interior:

Unfortunately, the attempt to model the exterior didn't work out:

Honestly, I'm stuck. I've been working on these modular assets for several days, and while I've been able to manage most of it, I'm starting to run out of ideas on this part. For context I will add that I plan to use these modular walls to procedurally generate buildings and their interiors. Each wall is eventually supposed to be destructible.

Blender file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-ooz33VAfras0f5X8PxdALyUmg2VI75I/view?usp=sharing

Replies

  • Benjammin
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    Benjammin greentooth
    With modularity, everything gets much simpler if you centre your walls on the grid line (of whatever your grid size is, ie: 3x3m). They should be flush (no overlap) with each other when laid out in a line. You will need a piece to cover the gap in the outer corners, but the inner corners will overlap and take care of themselves.
    If you need to have the internal grid perfect the same guidelines apply, you just need a piece to cover internal corners as well. 
    End of the day, you're either going to have overlapping somewhere (or a ton of extra pieces to cover all configurations), so take that overlap into account when you model your assets.

  • piratek098
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    piratek098 polycounter lvl 2

    I'm curious how it works in The Sims where you have a grid, and the wall thickness seems to be 10 cm inside and outside. I guess I'll have to accept the intersection
  • piratek098
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    piratek098 polycounter lvl 2

    I'm curious how it works in The Sims where you have a grid, and the wall thickness seems to be 10 cm inside and outside. I guess I'll have to accept the intersection
  • poopipe
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    poopipe grand marshal polycounter
    the walls in the sims most likely use a system where a mesh is chosen based on what's next to it .

    We use a similar system in our games but it's not centered on the grid and instead we support inside and outside - that increases the number of wall meshes you need but its still manageable 

    if you're laying this stuff out by hand then I would agree with @Benjammin - centring on the grid and using corner pieces is the least work overall 

  • piratek098
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    piratek098 polycounter lvl 2
    Thank you very much for your help, I have one last question, and then I won't bother you anymore! What should I do in the area marked with a marker?

    Would it be better to place a 10 × 10 model somewhere and use it as needed, or simply create one corner model with extended x axis? I don't want for the planned building to add logs or other assets that could cover the empty space.
    We use a similar system in our games but it's not centered on the grid and instead we support inside and outside - that increases the number of wall meshes you need but its still manageable 
    How does this work for you? Do you have separate modular models for external and internal walls? Did I understand that correctly? I would appreciate a screenshot if it's not a problem,
    @poopipe.

  • okidoki
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    okidoki polycounter lvl 2
    I think you have to distinguis between walls present "inside" and "outside" the grid like so:


    While choosing the orange grid (like you did) with walls on the grid lines and use smalle edge "fillings" or use the orange grid an having the walls in the center of the grid to have some more "substance" to handle. On the outside on this inside walls now you maye position some outside walls if you want using the same technic. So "the grid" just has to be choosen on the circumstances.
  • piratek098
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    piratek098 polycounter lvl 2

    Thank you so much for visualizing this for me, I know everything now!
  • poopipe
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    poopipe grand marshal polycounter
    I'm afraid I can't provide screenshots (or remember exactly how many models are in the set)
    but yes..
    separate models for inside and outside
    corners are handle by a 45 degree cut 

    if you cannot center your walls on the grid line then you don't really have much option other than to make models for inside and outside cases of each wall segment
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