Unexpected Performance Costs with Animation Sharing Plugin and Stationary Characters

Development Character & Animation
,
1

Hello,

We have encountered an animation-related issue that we could use some help with. After analyzing the game using Unreal Insights, we noticed an unexpected cost associated with each character in every frame. We are using the Animation Sharing Plugin, which otherwise appears to be functioning as expected. We have also implemented multi-threaded animation blueprints and have utilized every performance optimization recommendation we’ve found, with the exception of the Animation Budget Plugin.

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However, this cost quickly accumulates, seemingly offsetting the benefits provided by the Animation Sharing Plugin. We are confused as to why primitive transforms on the characters are being updated, even when the characters are stationary and lack movement components.

Based on the Animation Sharing documentation, we expected better performance and not such a heavy linear relationship between CPU cost and the number of characters:

“Rather than performing individual evaluations of an Animation Blueprint for each character in your level, you can share animations from a single evaluation across many characters, resulting in a system where the difference between 100 characters and 1000 characters results in a minimal increase in performance cost."

Animation Sharing documentation:

Animation Optimization documentation:

1 Like
2

We are still searching for a solution. To clarify, not registering the actor with the Animation Sharing Manager eliminates the associated cost.

void ACharacter::BeginPlay()
{
    Super::BeginPlay();
    //AnimationSharingManager->RegisterActorWithSkeletonBP(this, Skeleton);
}

However, it remains unclear why the animation system would update the Skeletal Mesh Component’s transforms, especially when there is no movement component on the pawn.

Does anyone have any insight on this?

Thanks