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Willem Bever
Guest
What's the maximum amount of polys for a LOD 100 ship model file?
Guess. need some ship gurus
Depends on how many other objects you want with it. 10-15 thousand maybe a good number? Don't know for sure. My airplanes have a lot more.
Depends on how many other objects you want with it. 10-15 thousand maybe a good number? Don't know for sure. My airplanes have a lot more.
Part of it depends how many other LODs you will have. If you have LOD_100, LOD_90, LOD_70, LOD_50, LOD_25, and LOD_10, then you can probably go fairly rich on LOD_100. That's because your LOD_100 will rarely come into view.
IMHO, I would suggest that if LOD_100 has 10,000+ polys, then perhaps LOD_90 will have only 5,000 (by trimming out detail), LOD_70 2,000, LOD_50 1,000, LOD_25 500, and LOD_10 100 or something like that. If you're doing something big like a battleship or aircraft carrier then you might go nuts with the LOD_100 and perhaps let the LOD_90 and LOD_70 go a bit higher ... but ... the other limits should be observed.
It is critical to keep the lower LODs lean (50, 25, 10) because beyond a few hundred yards these are the only ones that the game uses. Partly, it depends on computer graphic settings but I found that the higher LODs only came into play when very close to the target. What's more, the amount of detail visible at those lower LODs renders the object as little more than a basic silhouette ... so you don't really need much detail.
Needless to say, it is CRITICAL that modelers make use of LODs to keep the game running efficiently. So go ahead and have fun with your LOD_100 if that is your thing. It will make for great screenshots and get you lots of oohs and aahs for other boat-niks. Efficient use of the other LODs will earn you the eternal gratitude of the rest of us.
IMHO, I would suggest that if LOD_100 has 10,000+ polys, then perhaps LOD_90 will have only 5,000 (by trimming out detail), LOD_70 2,000, LOD_50 1,000, LOD_25 500, and LOD_10 100 or something like that. If you're doing something big like a battleship or aircraft carrier then you might go nuts with the LOD_100 and perhaps let the LOD_90 and LOD_70 go a bit higher ... but ... the other limits should be observed.
It is critical to keep the lower LODs lean (50, 25, 10) because beyond a few hundred yards these are the only ones that the game uses. Partly, it depends on computer graphic settings but I found that the higher LODs only came into play when very close to the target. What's more, the amount of detail visible at those lower LODs renders the object as little more than a basic silhouette ... so you don't really need much detail.
Needless to say, it is CRITICAL that modelers make use of LODs to keep the game running efficiently. So go ahead and have fun with your LOD_100 if that is your thing. It will make for great screenshots and get you lots of oohs and aahs for other boat-niks. Efficient use of the other LODs will earn you the eternal gratitude of the rest of us.
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Willem Bever
Guest
Thanks guys, only the messenger myself, but from what I've seen it's worth the details. No doubt FM will ask some more question later on
Starspeeder_3000
Charter Member
The maximum number of vertices allowed in a model is 65535 total. Even if you split the parts up the total vertices of all the parts in the scene together can't ever exceed 65535. Go over the limit and the export plugin will yell at you saying you have exceeded the vertex buffer and will fail to export the model to CFS3. Some of my models for CFS3 easily have upwards of 17,000 vertices or more.
On a side note you may also want to consider this:
http://blogs.technet.com/torgo3000/archive/2008/01/24/let-s-blow-up-the-exporter-real-good.aspx
I realize this may all be a bit much for the purposes of CFS3 so here is a general guideline to help keep things simple:
Poly count:
Keep the model triangle count within the limit set for the LOD being modeled. Reasonable guidelines are:
LOD_100 = 7,500
LOD_90 = 5,000
LOD_70 = 2,500
LOD_50 = 1,250
LOD_25 = 500
LOD_10 = 50
On a side note you may also want to consider this:
http://blogs.technet.com/torgo3000/archive/2008/01/24/let-s-blow-up-the-exporter-real-good.aspx
I realize this may all be a bit much for the purposes of CFS3 so here is a general guideline to help keep things simple:
Poly count:
Keep the model triangle count within the limit set for the LOD being modeled. Reasonable guidelines are:
LOD_100 = 7,500
LOD_90 = 5,000
LOD_70 = 2,500
LOD_50 = 1,250
LOD_25 = 500
LOD_10 = 50
Starspeeder_3000
Charter Member
Good question... I would say YES, include all the LOD models in your total count. The virtual cockpit models can be counted separate because they are exported as their own models separate from the main model.
Not quite correct.
That's the max number a single part can have.
There's not really an overall limit.
Many moons ago and just for fun I exported a high poli Panzer I tank weighting at about 1 million polis which exported and displayed just fine in CFS3.
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Willem Bever
Guest
What would you recommend if the main model = lod 100 has about 15.000 to 20.000 polys?
Lod 100 = 20.000
lod 90 = ?
lod 70 = ?
lod 50 = ?
etc etc
Thanks for all replies so far