What is building by the numbers?

I always thought that "building by the numbers" meant using the Edit tool to manually enter values for a prim to +/- .001 accuaracy.

But, recently I read method to set prim parameters, especially the x,y,z positions using a script to +/- .00001 accuracy.

Which is considered building by the numbers? Using the edit box or using scripts or maybe both?

Is it really building by the numbers at all? Since the numbers are converted from different systems at the binary level, it could be said there is no accuracy and even if "exact" numbers are used in scripts, the final result in a multi-prim object is a set of prims off by 0.000nn accuracy just to make it look right.

boxes vs scripting are just 2 different levels of numbers building to me, not building by the numbers is when you jsut start draggin prims and eyeballing them

and yes even when punching in numbers theres always some degree of error due to floating point errors in computers

To add, I have found building by the numbers using the Edit Boxes to be less accurate than dragging and eyeballing them if enough zoom is used. In otherwords, if I zoom in as close as possible on a prim and eyeball it to align with another prim, I can move/size it less than .001 because the position and size does not change in the Edit Box but obviously does when examining the prim paramters with a script.

So, I think when challenging the float errors, the least accurate builds are with the Edit Box and accuracy improves with Zoom and eyeballing it and then using scripts, especially with prims that have path cuts and/or rotations.

Now, I use all 3, first by the numbers with the Edit Box, then, if there is still a visual discrepancy, zoom and stretch, and if further work is needed, us a simple script with llSetPos to place it where it looks best.

While you're right that that can be the case, it's a little more complicated than that. Every machine renders the scene slightly differently. What might look like a little bit of movement to you might look like no movement at all to someone else a lot of movement to another. The numbers are fixed mathematical values, but the way geometry gets rendered by different video cards can vary a bit. I'd advise you not to rely solely on eyeballing.

I only eyeball when needed after doing it by the numbers in the edit box. So, the eyeballing is for positions less than .001. In otherwords, if I position a prim using Edit Box, and it still does not look well, then I zoom in as far as possible and make the adjustments. Even after adjustments, values in Edit Box have not changed and only by using a script to get "true" position with llGetPos do I see the changes after the 3rd decimal - .000nnn. This is mostly the case for adjoining prims where one or more of them are either path cut or rotated on more than one axis. An arched doorway is good example.