With LDCad I decided to go the 'easy' way and (for the time being) just match single shapes. This system is reasonably easy to implement and needs limited extra information on the parts. Downside it doesn't care about collisions and part overlapping.
But the current setup/meta format does allow for future extensions which let me add things like occupied target exclusion and or collision prevention in time.
Animation wise I personally like to keep things manual, for me at least the fun of it all is figuring out how to make it move on a per model basis, it's like: where's the fun in a self assembling puzzle anyway. The only thing you need in such an environment is a extensive grouping meta.
Just my 2cts
But the current setup/meta format does allow for future extensions which let me add things like occupied target exclusion and or collision prevention in time.
Animation wise I personally like to keep things manual, for me at least the fun of it all is figuring out how to make it move on a per model basis, it's like: where's the fun in a self assembling puzzle anyway. The only thing you need in such an environment is a extensive grouping meta.
Just my 2cts