Layers are very important. For example, if you wanted to make a cliff, then you’ll need layers. Here are examples on how powerful layers are for your game, aesthetics and all.
Prop Functionality
Note: This only applies to a couple of scenarios with props.
If you want your props to function, then you have to consider layers. For example, if you want to save memory with a gate console that will turn green if a question is answered correctly, then you probably don’t want to hide the green one. So, to make sure the orange one is layered above the green gate console.
The above concept can be applied to almost anything that has a variant (like the aforementioned gate console or arcade machine).
Advanced Terrain
By “advanced terrain,” I mean terrain like the ones in the 3D Art Library or mysz’s 3D terrain “showcase.” So, you might be wondering how to do it. It’s layering! You have to layer a terrain (dirt is recommended) under another terrain (e.g. snowy grass or just grass). With some invisible barriers and walls, you can make something like this:
(examples are from one of my own maps)
Overlapping Props
You may be wondering: when will I ever need to overlap props? Well, overlapping props are actually very useful. In fact, the boundaries of Snowy Survival are made from fence edges overlapping with each other! Also, overlapping white translucent barriers can make a waterfall effect.
If you’re ever going to make something like that, then you need to make sure whatever you’re using
Detailed Structures
If you’re building a facility, then you might not want to do all the walls and floors on the same layer. Otherwise, it might just look ugly. So, how do you fix that? You place floors and walls on different layers to make it work! Yep, that involves layers!
Small Detail Fixer
So, you’ve got your floors on the middle and walls on upper layers, now you have them placed, but now the background shows a little, and grass can’t be in your facility! Well, you can fix that by placing the same floor terrain under (as in on a lower layer) than the primary floor terrain and outline all of the walls, plus more of that terrain because you need to cover up the background terrain.
Better-Looking Terrain
Ever seen Gimsentryrobot5’s first guide/showcase-but-she-actually-shows-us-what-to-do, and had multi-colored water? Seen the discolored heart by 4r33 before? The problem is that they are “blocky” because they put all the water on one layer. So, you have to mess around with the water layers to avoid that.
Game Designs and Features
For games, you might want a sign instead of using waypoints. But how? Text is usually layered on the below layer and poles are layered on top of signs! Well, just layer them! Also for the features, you might want to layer too. For example,
If you want a detailed and realistic game, you need to utilize layers. Plus, you can make lots of different things with it.