Whats the best way for collapsing a building?

utilise the shatterSOP is one way, but sometimes can be a mite unpredictable.

Another way is using several cookieSOPs to break up your geometry into chunks.
The method would be to have the building on one side of the cookie, and use another piece of geometry to break a small section up of the building on the other. Add a groupSOP to group those paticular primatives (I would add a colorSOP as well for vizualization purposes, you can always use a attributeSOP later and delete “Cd”.). Rinse and repeat, then merge them together and utilise a connectivitySOP in tandem with a partitionSOP, and use those in either a RBD fractured or RBD glued object inside of DOP's to break the geometry apart….

…or use frenchsops way of using a VOPSOP to colour your peices with a voronoi noiseVOP, and partition the pieces by colour instead of using the connectivitySOP.

Those are a couple of idea's, but im no expert so someone might have some better idea's than that. I for one would like to understand a little better the method of breaking geometry by using volumes!

Have fun!

EDIT: Also I suggest buying 3d-buzz's “Technical Effects” DVD by Peter Claes. He uses a very nifty way of using a foreachSOP to break geometry, and has some nice breaking effects for you to see.

cheers