Choosing right polycount budget. Making some charts?
polycounter lvl 6
Hello guys
I starting to modeling props for my project and i bit stuck with problem which im personally called "middle point problem".
I.e.:
1. im afraid to make model polycount too low and lose some details, and
2. same time im afraid to rize polycount with no sense.
Thats leads me to modeling stuff which are still not too highpoly for close ups or inspection scenarios (when we can look up close to object in game, like in Resident Evil, and many-many other games) but same time, not too lowpoly for being a good and reasonable polycount model.
So, it leads me to question: is there any tricks/rules for picking right polycount for third/second person games?
Im currently thinking about making some test models to see what is "too low" and what is "too high" at least in case of cylinders which frequently rise polycount a lot.
Some charts like: X diameter in mm (any game units) = should be 8 polygons, and so on, which will help to pick right value more automatically, and not by trials and errors.
I starting to modeling props for my project and i bit stuck with problem which im personally called "middle point problem".
I.e.:
1. im afraid to make model polycount too low and lose some details, and
2. same time im afraid to rize polycount with no sense.
Thats leads me to modeling stuff which are still not too highpoly for close ups or inspection scenarios (when we can look up close to object in game, like in Resident Evil, and many-many other games) but same time, not too lowpoly for being a good and reasonable polycount model.
So, it leads me to question: is there any tricks/rules for picking right polycount for third/second person games?
Im currently thinking about making some test models to see what is "too low" and what is "too high" at least in case of cylinders which frequently rise polycount a lot.
Some charts like: X diameter in mm (any game units) = should be 8 polygons, and so on, which will help to pick right value more automatically, and not by trials and errors.
Replies
When somebody asks me such a question then my advice is usually to start with some much smaller projects first. There is no such chart. Every game is unique. That's one of the first things that you learn.
The "trick" that you search for is called prototype. There is no better method than to simply try it out. There are too many factors that influences the game performance and needs. A good starting point is similar projects. Have a look there what poly count they use, what shaders, what map types etc. . But then you need to try it out if it fits to your project. What works for them might fail for you.
The general modeling rule applies also to game asset needs: as much geometry as needed, as few as possible. And when you come close then you need more detail. But the pure poly count is never the problem. The performance bottlenecks usually arrives at other things like Shaders, particle systems, game logic, texture map types and resolution, how many characters at once at the screen. The environment. The game type. The engine limits. The target platform limits. And so on.
So make a prototype, then have a look at the performance. Then you can decide if you can go up in some details, or if you need to go down in some details. And take also into account that more detail usually requires more man power. There's a reason why so many flat shaded comic style games are around nowadays.
Kind regards
Tiles
A great starting point so to think about how the model will be used. Is it a gun for COD that you're supposed to inspect and enjoy all the juice details? Or is it a gun that's always gonna be held by a character in third person? So what's important for the game and how will it be viewed.
Tying in to that is silhouette. From an aesthetic point of view, silhouette should drive where you put your triangles.
With all that said, depending on engine and shader a lot of times I will add support edges to create a better normal bake. I will put in extra splits in my model to be able to UV better. And in production some of that just flies out the door because it's a low importance prop and time is more important. Oh and then there's modeling so that you can LOD better, meaning modelling so that you can UV better.
In the end all of this will come with experience. Stick to application and most triangle bang for the buck and you're golden.
And yes, im currently try to dig into analyzing similar projects.
Triangles that are smaller than a pixel are disproportionately expensive - this should be your focus when lodding.
90% of geometry related performance issues in games are due to inappropriately constructed LODs
90% of shitty looking or expensive LODs look shitty or are expensive because of bad UV choices
Make good UV choices and you get cheap and attractive LODs
UV to the lowest LOD not the highest