Block Skins for Variants of Identical Blocks.
Idea here was to address having multiple variations of functionally identical block; use block 'skins' and swap them on the fly.
The idea is, override the visual appearance of a block, allowing the player to select skins for the block, but not have to remove and replace the block. For instance in SE1, you have the two types of air vents. To replace one of the original air vents with the functionally identical fan-style vent, you have to remove the block and replace it. Same with original gatling guns vs warfare II update gatling gun variant. Or round vs square corridor doors, etc. Instead of having a new block, allow the player to swap the visual appearance of the blocks to another valid skin for that block.
I would also suggest the pool of possible skins for a block be a variable pool/list that can be added to by mods, updates, or DLC releases. Any modder could then add a new style of air vent, but it's contained in the default air vent block and so does not need a new block definition and retains and carries over all of the vanilla block functions; it's just a visual model swap. If the grid is saved and loaded in a different server or the mod that added the skin removed, the block should revert to its default skin/first valid skin in its list.
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These are not skins but consequence of business decision that blocks from DLC are just different in visual appearance.
That's why they have different block subtype identifier so people without DLC can't build them.
Technically they are separate blocks which could possibly have different properties (range, power consumption, performance, mass, etc.) or even extended functionality compared to basic variants and only that business decision limits it.
But these blocks have own 3D model including mount points, control points, conveyor ports, airtightness etc. so 1:1 in-place swap would be possible only really for just few of them.
In my opinion such swap option is not bad idea, but I would limit it for creative mode only or in SE2 holographic projection building. For survival/scenario I would not add it or make it world settings toggle.
In general mass replacement of blocks in blueprints is painful especially when dealing with blueprints designed for servers which use tiered-tech mods.
These are not skins but consequence of business decision that blocks from DLC are just different in visual appearance.
That's why they have different block subtype identifier so people without DLC can't build them.
Technically they are separate blocks which could possibly have different properties (range, power consumption, performance, mass, etc.) or even extended functionality compared to basic variants and only that business decision limits it.
But these blocks have own 3D model including mount points, control points, conveyor ports, airtightness etc. so 1:1 in-place swap would be possible only really for just few of them.
In my opinion such swap option is not bad idea, but I would limit it for creative mode only or in SE2 holographic projection building. For survival/scenario I would not add it or make it world settings toggle.
In general mass replacement of blocks in blueprints is painful especially when dealing with blueprints designed for servers which use tiered-tech mods.
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