Is there a way to create LODActors manually without HLOD?
I create my LOD actors in my modeling software. I use “Reduce”, in Maya and choose how much I want to reduce by a percentage, keeping in mind how far the actor will be away. I try to keep my shape intact most of the time when reducing.
Modeling a simple stand in object which might work in visual effects work, does not work here. The LOD system is looking for the same information in particular in regards to UVMaps. In other words it needs to keep the same UV space on an object even if you reduce it fifty percent and half the geometry is gone on the reduced model, creating empty patches. Resist the urge to clean up those LightMap UVs, because they won’t match the original model.
You misunderstand. LOD ACTORS are not lods. Basically they take a bunch of different models in your scene … and replace them with 1 big lod combo model for distance… Reducing draw calls and all by distance… so i can build 20 props, construct a building with them… and when u get 300 meters away from it i could turn it into 1 lowpoly building. 20 models into 1 model… Know what i mean?
HLOD in the editor creates that automatically but i want more control. I dont like the HLOD system. Seems like a lot of waste to me. I’d prefer to choose which models i want replaced and by what models to replace with.
By default all static meshes are enabled to be used with HLOD. You can select the individual assets and in the Details panel uncheck the option for Enable Auto LODGeneration.
This may or may not provide the exact control you’re looking for, but do keep in mind that this feature has only been in the engine for a relatively short period of time.
What I am looking to do is create my own massive LOD. Not autogenerated. I want to create say a 100 poly model of a section of the level in my 3d package… and use that as an lod for half the scene… So lightmaps could be generated for both the models and that lod… as well as the models can vanish when that lod appears… so less draw calls …
Is there anyway to do this?
Couldn’t you just create the massive LOD, and set it as a “normal” LOD for a primary model, and have the secondary models all have an empty LOD at the same distance? There would be some asset management that would need to happen, especially if you’re doing a lot of hero model reuse.
The problem with that is every mesh would have its own point that is measuring distance from… so at one point the massive lod and some of the smaller models will be active at the same time… Not to mention that i may not want some models to disappear at that same distance. A wall here may be good for 1 distance… but a wall elsewhere may not.
The other problem is how do you even bake lightmaps like that? The geometry overlaps. Will lightmass understand they shouldnt ? Lol