Linking prims?

If I build a house of any size, I can't link parts together. I gather this is because the game permits linked objects only of a certain size. I'm told that "linking prims" can be used as "joints" to hold together two halves, but I can't get this technique to work. Any advice?

Also, more generally: what's the best order in which to construct things? Foundation first, then walls, then ceilings, then interior walls?

Depending on your skills, order should not matter. Whatever works for you.

As for linking. AFAIK the only limit is the distance between prims.

its the distance from the center of a prim to the center of another prim.
the limit is 30 meters.
by that logic, you oughta be able to link 4 10x10x10 cubes.
when i build large structures, ill link sections together (left floor, right floor, left walls, center walls, right wal-...well you get the point...). that way i can place the sections that are already linked and where i want them and only have to adjust the placement of the big chunks in relation to each other.

When I build houses for people, I usually start with the foundations so I can see the size of the area, then do the walls and then do any other floors and the roof. Once that is done I start adding windows, doors and details.

Once I am finished, I start linking it all up.. If it is small enough to link up everything, I just drag a box around all of them, then hold down shift and unselect one of the foundation pieces and select it again, so that way it is the primary prim and is usually not rotated or anything. Just a habit I got into.. anyway..

If the house is too big to be linked in one object, I look for a logical way to link it into large pieces. May be link all the back of the house, and link all the front of the house, so you end up with 2 objects.. really depends on the shape and size of the house but the main thing is to keep it down to as few objects as possible.

Then, rather than picking up each individual object and later having to move them against each other, you can select all the objects at once and pick ti up so it will appear as a single object in your inventory. Its name will be the last object your selected.. so make sure you set the name of one of the linked objects to be whatever you want to see the house as in your inventory, then select that bit last.

When you place the single object (that was picked up as a group) back on the ground again, all the bits are positioned how you picked them up. This means you cans ell the house as a single, droppable object that is actually 2 or more linked sets.

Also.. this would be a handy way of selling a furnished house, where the furniture can still be moved around by the person buying it, since you are picking up all the objects as one inventory item. Then when you place it on the ground, it positions ALL the furniture and the house pieces in the same 'relative" positions and rotations you had them in during the design/building phase. The there is no need to unlink pieces of furniture to move them around and potentially ruin the house.

Another reason why this is good, is that some people like to save prims by using Phantom doors, so you can keep the Phantom door as a separate object from the house and still pick it all up as one inventory item for selling.