Modular assets: single sided or closed mesh?

Development Asset Creation
1

Goal: able to design a level(streets, houses, small bridges, churches, etc) with lots of options to mix items so basicly every house/bridge/church/etc looks different. Also the ability for the player to enter each building.

I started to create some test meshes which are single sided, but I found it hard to design a level with it because you cant see the mesh from behind.

So I started wondering what the best practices are? And do full meshes have a noticeable performance overhead?

So the basic question is: Anybody have any tips on creating assets for small villages as a level?

2

Closed meshes are typically better, they have less issues with lightmass.

3

Depends on the situation–if you have a building with an interior then the walls need to have thickness, but they don’t have to have caps along the top of the wall

4

It depends on the use. If you’re strictly interior you don’t need to create a closed mesh. Even if you’re mixing interior with interiors, you seldom use the same mesh for both sides of the building.