LODs for cars in simulators and racing games
polycounter lvl 10
A client wants one material for all LOD models including "high poly" one, i.e. I can use only one normal map for both LOD0 which is like 60K and LOD4 which is like 7K.
From my perspective it doesn't look feasible at all. There are a lot of separate parts in LOD0 like a door handle which I've planed to bake into the door in lower LODs before this requirement popped up. So I have to have ALL SEPARATE PARTS which are quite high poly and make a 7K mesh from 50K one. I'm trying to do this ATM, but I think even if I put a normal map from LOD0 to LOD4 it won't hold up because shading will be different.
How would you handle a situation like this? Is there some method I don't know? May be not use a normal map at all (but even LOD0 needs it in some parts)? Transfer normals from LOD0 to LOD4 (never did that)?
From my perspective it doesn't look feasible at all. There are a lot of separate parts in LOD0 like a door handle which I've planed to bake into the door in lower LODs before this requirement popped up. So I have to have ALL SEPARATE PARTS which are quite high poly and make a 7K mesh from 50K one. I'm trying to do this ATM, but I think even if I put a normal map from LOD0 to LOD4 it won't hold up because shading will be different.
How would you handle a situation like this? Is there some method I don't know? May be not use a normal map at all (but even LOD0 needs it in some parts)? Transfer normals from LOD0 to LOD4 (never did that)?
Replies
Something like this would work well, and you could use one normalmap.
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=154664
And on the lods, you would simply remove the chamfers or supporting, and then do the usual optimizations.
You are right anyways, the one fully baked normalmap would't work well on both lod0 and 4.
I wonder if I optimize LOD0 like remove all these parts and bake them from high poly will my normal map hold for LOD4? The mesh will be optimized from beginning so may be...