TS, tell me more about your workflow Thread - Vector Thrust

How do you decide whether to make details like refule probes and small fins part of the main mesh or overlapping geometry? I wanted to make the hull of my current project one fuly connected model but it seems like it's disrupting the poly flow. However, I'm wary of making too many unconnected parts because it just seems like bad form and I'm not sure how it's going to affect the shaders/radiosity baking.

I see your concern, I also sometimes have to decide if I add some details as a separate part or not.
If it is a separate part it won’t affect the game shader nor the radiosity baking.
But here are the points that make me decide if it is part of the object or not:

- First and more importantly, what it the amount of the surface area covered by that part? If it is large enough it would be a waste of space later when uv maping, but if it is small enough then it is no problem. The tail of the aircrafts is very often a separate part.

- second, the height of the bump, fins have no problem as a separate part but small bumps can lead to z-fighting if they have other surface right below.

If the part you like to add has no problem with those conditions and doesn't have a smooth transition with the main part then you can add it as a separate part.

Just for example, the mig-21 and the draken wings are a separate part. (sometimes this helps in making other variants)