Hi
I am currently experimenting with runtime procedural plant and tree growth.
The SplineMesh component used is a basic triangular prism, and the growth is controlled using Timelines, with the timelines play rate controlled by a growth time variable.
From the main stem, are branches that grow, and from branches, more branches, fruit, leaves etc. But lets say for example in my test case, I have just a stem being grown with 6 spline points, 10 meters high. I have 2 branches coming out from each spline point that each only have 2 spline points (0 and 1).
When there’s a multitude of these trees growing, performance goes from 120fps down to potentially ~6 FPS, maybe lower with more growing.
This seems to be as a result of a whole bunch of timelines running simultaneously.
I am new to spline meshes, and haven’t really looked into much in the way of optimization techniques.
I don’t think it has anything to do with poly count, as they are very low poly. I don’t think it’s to do with shading, as the current material is just a basic colour. I doubt it’s to do with so many meshes being created either, as it’s really not that many compared to other tests I have done, and performance goes back to something much more reasonable after all of the growth is finished.
Does anybody know a way that I could optimize this tree/plant growth? Or confirm that I am right in thinking that multiple simultaneous timelines bog down performance.
PS: These trees MUST grow in run time, not automatically be fully grown, as the player must plant these plants and help them grow.
Thankyou in advance.