Random object visibility with MaterialByElement & Opacit

[Pixelab]

I did a quick "tutorial" about a technique I used in some project to simulate randomness in architecture, or in any kind of geometry. If you have to do a facade of randomly opened shutters for example

here it is : http://blog.pixelab.be/2007/10/tutor...bility-in.html

It is a flexible method but I was wondering if some of you had already faced the problem, and how do you treat it ? Any advice or method on how you treat randomness in general is useful here

Does my method has any drawback in term of performance (AA? Transparency ?)

I also remebered a quick script to make random blinds : http://www.cgtechniques.com/goodies/blinds/ but you have to recreate the object for each modification you want to do...

[kalografik]

Very cool. Thanks

[peterC]

Very usefull, thanx.
I use blurscripts "RandomFaceSelect" for selecting random faces on an object, this way u dont need to break all the vertices of your object, then just assign the null mat to the selected faces, or delete them.

[tammo]

this is very clever.
i like to keep things parametric because of client changes.