Foxel’s Reuse Workflow: Prefabs, Minis, and References
This tutorial explains one of Foxel’s biggest workflow differences.
Reuse is not one single feature. Foxel has several reuse systems, and each one solves a different kind of problem.
Why This Matters
A lot of voxel workflows treat reuse in a limited way.
Foxel is different because it provides multiple reuse systems for different kinds of content and workflow needs.
The main reuse systems are:
They are related, but they are not the same thing.
Prefabs
Prefabs are for reusable 3D voxel content.
Use them when you want to save something as a reusable building block and place it again later instead of rebuilding it.
Prefabs are useful for content such as:
- Props
- Modular pieces
- Repeated construction parts
- Small objects
- Decorative elements
Use Prefabs when the reusable element is mainly a 3D voxel object.
Minis
Minis are reusable mini heightmaps.
They are not just flat 2D stamps. They include height information and are useful for repeated detail workflows where fast surface variation matters.
Minis are useful for content such as:
- Small surface details
- Repeated height accents
- Panel details
- Relief shapes
- Small carved or raised forms
Use Minis when the reusable element is mainly 2D-plus-height detail.
References
References let you reuse source content without rebuilding it.
This is useful when the strength of the workflow is not duplication, but staying connected to the source asset.
A Reference uses another asset as source content and generates voxel data from it inside the scene.
References are useful when:
- You want to reuse an asset from the current project.
- You want the scene to use generated content from another asset.
- You want to avoid manually rebuilding the same content.
- You want a source-based workflow instead of a copied object workflow.
Use References when the reusable content should remain connected to a source asset.
How They Are Different
These systems solve different reuse problems.
| System | Best For | Basic Idea |
|---|---|---|
| Prefabs | Reusable 3D voxel content | Place saved voxel building blocks again later |
| Minis | Reusable height-based detail | Apply small 2D-plus-height details |
| References | Source asset reuse | Reuse another asset as generated scene content |
A simple distinction is:
- Prefabs reuse 3D voxel parts.
- Minis reuse small height-based details.
- References reuse source assets.
Why This Scales Better
Foxel’s reuse workflow is layered.
Instead of forcing every reuse problem into one system, Foxel provides different tools for different situations.
This makes larger projects easier to manage because not all repeated content has the same purpose.
A repeated prop, a repeated height detail, and a reused project asset are different workflow problems. Foxel treats them differently.
What To Remember
- Foxel has several reuse systems.
- Prefabs, Minis, and References are not the same thing.
- Prefabs are for reusable 3D voxel content.
- Minis are reusable mini heightmaps.
- Minis are not just flat 2D stamps.
- References reuse source assets.
- Each system solves a different reuse problem.
- This layered approach is one reason Foxel scales better.