Re: [MOD] Trees Of Daggerfall
Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 5:50 pm
Hey Guys, sry for not replying to this topic for so long.
I have to address some of the questions here concerning these 3D trees:
When Ive made these trees, I have tried to optimized them as much as possible. The main way of doing this is by LOD system. Ive setup every tree in such a way so that last LOD (billboard state), is switched on in about 40% screen size. That means that when tree is away from player and it covers about 40% of the screen size, it is switched to the billboard. Believe me when I say, that forty percent is huge number and that it is a very heavy optimization. What I think is that main problem lies in correlation with original (Gavin's) DU billboard shader and how they are generated on the DU streaming terrain. I cannot do that with SPTree models. Also performance incrementaly drops for every level (patch) of terrain distance and I really dont know why, because those are still just simple billboards (2D images), regardless whether they are DU shader or SPTree.
Ive talked to @TheLacus and asked him if there is a possibility of switching SPTree billboards to the original DU billboards at some LOD distance - this way performance could be saved. He said that there is possibility of doing that (as far as I have understood), that it is doable.
I have to address some of the questions here concerning these 3D trees:
When Ive made these trees, I have tried to optimized them as much as possible. The main way of doing this is by LOD system. Ive setup every tree in such a way so that last LOD (billboard state), is switched on in about 40% screen size. That means that when tree is away from player and it covers about 40% of the screen size, it is switched to the billboard. Believe me when I say, that forty percent is huge number and that it is a very heavy optimization. What I think is that main problem lies in correlation with original (Gavin's) DU billboard shader and how they are generated on the DU streaming terrain. I cannot do that with SPTree models. Also performance incrementaly drops for every level (patch) of terrain distance and I really dont know why, because those are still just simple billboards (2D images), regardless whether they are DU shader or SPTree.
Ive talked to @TheLacus and asked him if there is a possibility of switching SPTree billboards to the original DU billboards at some LOD distance - this way performance could be saved. He said that there is possibility of doing that (as far as I have understood), that it is doable.