LOD Generator 1.0 - GameGuru MAX

/ lod-generator-212572
LOD Generator 1.0 - GameGuru MAX - New Features:
* Interpolate animations in editor.
* Now support welding/optimizing of object with no indices. (Only LOD0 supported as we need indices for other LOD levels to work).
* Object with no indices that are reduced to fit into 16bit is now converted into normal indices object including LODs.
* Auto detect GameGuru MAX install folder.
* Auto detect GameGuru MAX custom write folder.
* Cancel FPM view when a new fpe / dbo is drag/dropped.
* Convert LOD0 from triangle list to indices, if first compression gets vertex count below 16 bit. this allow LODs on some objects with no indices.
* Allow disabling of optimizing on selected meshes.
* Regenerate normals - Can make LOD objects look better if welding have removed many vertex data.
* Display object use count in your level, so you can optimized based on object use.
* Better reduction of animation keys.
* Support for the new "Project System", and support for saving LODs into the project folder.
Download your copy now: / lod-generator-212572

[@42earthling]

I know this is solely made for GGM but if it is possible to load and save in another 3d format such as the most common OBJ, it would be really useful for other engines as well.
It makes the transitions between lod stages so much better. :)

[@MakingGames]

Good suggestion , I will look into it :)

[@abradotcs]

Great work! What do you think of billboards? Is it a better alternative to LODs?

[@MakingGames]

Yes billboards are a great addition to LODs, the perfect fit would be having a billboard for LOD4, So when switching to billboard it happen
at a greater distance (LOD4) so you dont really notice the popping when switching. There can be problems using it as an alternative depending on the angle the player see the object's, like if you fly over the object it will look wrong top down, this could be fixed by using more rotated planes for the billboards but then again I think as a addition to LOD it would work great :)

[@fearlesswee5036]

@@MakingGames Maybe look at the way that Ultra Engine handles billboards for some inspiration. You can choose how many angles you want, and iirc it even has an option for billboard angles from above and such. (It also fades between billboards with an alpha effect, rather than instantly transitioning between angles.) It'd use more memory of course, but an end-user may want to use billboards for particularly expensive assets. Perhaps even characters for a big battle scene? I.e. you have fake billboard characters off in the distance, with a basic 3 or 4 frame walking animation.
On that note, some optimizations particularly for characters would be supreme. Techniques like time-slicing (rather than each character updating their physics and logic each-frame, characters closer to the player update every frame, those further back every other frame, etc. or even characters are automatically placed in "batches" and each "batch" updates at the same time, but only one batch can get processed per-frame.) animation throttling based on distance, etc.
You're doing amazing work by the way, bless you and thank you, good sir.

[@MakingGames]

@@fearlesswee5036 Wicked engine already have angle based billboards, I did have a play with it but was not 100% happy with the result I will give it another spin and see if it could work somehow , Thanks :)