This scene helps illustrate some of the concepts covered in other articles.
This scene is complex, and is in fact three scenes. There is a large village to the front, a small village of different type to the upper right, and another area to the upper left. The center is used by a Yule Tree or other obstacle.
Note how trees are used to "separate" the two villages to the right. You could also use a fence, wall, or even a waterway. The idea is not to block, but to create a "line" between the two. This helps reinforce a mental separation of the two different village types.
Here we separate using a road and waterway. The covered bridge helps reinforce the idea of separation between the village and a wild area. Note the tower to the left. A tall, lighted structure will be visible, but not obtrusive. this helps prevent the wild area from being perceived as "dead" space. The small building in the rear also helps.
Two pines separate the cabin across the tracks from the red-roofed building in the right corner. Both are min-scenes, separated by the track from the main village.
The rear village is different, and separated from the wild area and the larger village, in this case by trees. Buildings here are also angled differently than in the large village.
Here we have two lines of buildings along a road. In real cities and towns, they would face each other. Such placement would be appropriate for a scale model railroad or scene. However, it would not be as good for Tinscale or Yule Villages, as the fronts of buildings are blocked. Also, with ceramic buildings, many have their lights inserted via a socket in the rear. This placement exposes the wiring.
For a realistic street, this is excellent. Buildings are placed this way in real life.
For a display, however, realism can get in the way of the colorful building facades.
Side views show how such a street might look. Again, use this for greater realism. Do not use it for a holiday display.
This placement is better for holiday displays and tinscale villages, as the facades of all buildings are facing the viewer. A short yard area behind the leading row of structures creates some semblance of realism, and is enough to mitigate the unrealistic placement of buildings facing along a street. We use a second street to further enhance the illusion of realism.
Here your can see all the facades. Having a second roadway is realistic enough to make the scene credible.
A bit closer to eye level, and all facades are visible. This also keeps wiring hidden.0
Even at an angle, it is a much more visible scene and it is much easier to hide wiring in buildings lit from the back.