Help with characteristics / Options

-- HikaShop version -- : 2.3.3

I´m in a little mess and lets see if someone can help me.
The thing is, i have to create a custom door online store in wich each door has different measures and characteristics like:
1.- Measures (more than 100) example 25x25 250x25 250x50 etc...
2.- Wood Types: Oak, Pine, etc... more or less 7
3.- Colors: Another 15
4.- With glass or without it and in case wich glass (4 variants)
5.- hinge (4 options)

Each option increase or decrease the price.
Also some of the should have images in the configurator like the wood to see wich is oak, wich pine etc...
I´m really lost i dont know if its better to do it via characteristic or via options.

Hi,

Well, an option can just modify the price and a characteristic will create a new "product entry" in the database.
Having too much variants could slow down your server and will require more memory to load a product page ; it will also generate bigger product page because all content of all variants have to be generated.

So, using characteristic is good if you want to change the picture or the description.
Using an option is better when the price modification is something fixed and you don't have to change an element for the product (like the product quantity, the image, the downloadable file, etc).

Regards,