Forgotten Technique To Easily Add Intricate Details Help

[Anonymous]

I remember being taught a technique for high poly modeling where you lay a small detail like a small hole or depression or something that would normally cut into a bigger model instead of using a boolean. It would stop the faces from intersecting so that the details would show through on the larger asset and not be covered by the body of the bigger asset where they touch. It acted sort of like a well. Does anyone know how to reproduce this? I forgot how to pull it off.

Here is an example of what I mean:   Front view, assets not intersecting.

 First image, front viewport of the small detail sitting next to the asset I want it to intersect with.

orthographic, not intersecting but showing all details.

 Second, orthographic view of the detail laying just over the larger asset but not intersecting. All details showing as I'd like them to when I bake a low poly version.

Intersecting, details covered up by larger assets side face.

Third, orthographic view of them intersecting but the larger asset covering the detail of the small asset. How would I get it to not cover these details but still intersect?

[Diffus3d]

Do you mean something like this?  Kitbashing?

Best Regards,

[bioclone_ax45]

The technique you may be talking could be "hard surface displacement projection"? arrimus had some super great tutorials related to this on YT.