Improved Single Lod Usage

**sumskilz** · April 02, 2009, 06:06 PM

Okay, so a lot of modders have realized that using multiple lods is pointless considering that most of us now have systems powerful enough to handle the higher polygon counts of using all lod0, but why are we still using multiple entries in the MODELDB file?

I've discovered something that I think you guys should all try for your own mods.

Change your entries that look like this:
15 varangian_guard
1 3
65 unit_models/_Units/ES_Greek_Greek_Heavy/varangian_guard_lod0.mesh 121
65 unit_models/_Units/ES_Greek_Greek_Heavy/varangian_guard_lod0.mesh 1225
65 unit_models/_Units/ES_Greek_Greek_Heavy/varangian_guard_lod0.mesh 6400

So that they look like this:
15 varangian_guard
1 1
65 unit_models/_Units/ES_Greek_Greek_Heavy/varangian_guard_lod0.mesh 6400

What I've found is that if you have multiple lod entries, even if they're all lod0, the game engine still acts as if it's switching between multiple files. With a single entry, you'll notice that as you move toward and away from units that there is no momentary catch, everything looks much smoother. Additionally this gets rid of the annoying bug that I often see in mods where an individual soldier may have one particular part or attachment (helmet_01 for example) but as you move closer or further away the part or attachment changes to a different one (helmet_03 for example).

Anyway, I just thought I should share. Let me know if you guys try it and have similarly improved results.

**Caesar Clivus** · April 02, 2009, 06:35 PM

I've been using that format for single lod models for a while and it works great.

**sumskilz** · April 02, 2009, 07:12 PM

Ah, so I wasn't the first to discover it. I really don't know why it took me so long to realize it could just be done that way. Maybe because that file is so intimidating before you learn your way around it. Anyway, hopefully this post will raise awareness of it, because I see a lot of mods that have that weird switching part bug.

**Augustus Lucifer** · April 02, 2009, 11:02 PM

Originally Posted by sumskilz

Maybe because that file is so intimidating before you learn your way around it.

That's probably why. We've been doing this as well.

**Nevada** · April 05, 2009, 08:58 AM

I haven't known this before.

Thanks.

**Lü Bu** · April 05, 2009, 09:18 AM

Cool!Is this possible in RTW?

**sumskilz** · April 05, 2009, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by karlost123456789

Cool!Is this possible in RTW?

Probably, but I don't know for certain since I've never modded RTW.

Originally Posted by Taiji

Basically you're messing up a slow PC's chance of running the game faster.

Yeah, but this is really becoming less and less of an issue as most of us upgrade our systems every couple of years. So, why not have your mod look as good or better than newer games? (E:TW comes to mind)

**Taiji** · April 06, 2009, 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by sumskilz

Yeah, but this is really becoming less and less of an issue as most of us upgrade our systems every couple of years. So, why not have your mod look as good or better than newer games? (E:TW comes to mind)

It sounds great as an option to include for those that want it but to force it would be to reduce your audience. If you don't mind a reduced audience you're sorted

BTW you get exactly the same result from:

67 unit_models/_Units/ES_Greek_Greek_Heavy/byzantine_lancers_lod0.mesh 6400
67 unit_models/_Units/ES_Greek_Greek_Heavy/byzantine_lancers_lod1.mesh 6400
67 unit_models/_Units/ES_Greek_Greek_Heavy/byzantine_lancers_lod2.mesh 6400
67 unit_models/_Units/ES_Greek_Greek_Heavy/byzantine_lancers_lod3.mesh 6400

And you can apply that in seconds with find and replace. I think It will only use the next line when the distance on the first line is exceeded so possibly:

67 unit_models/_Units/ES_Greek_Greek_Heavy/byzantine_lancers_lod0.mesh 10000
67 unit_models/_Units/ES_Greek_Greek_Heavy/byzantine_lancers_lod1.mesh 900
67 unit_models/_Units/ES_Greek_Greek_Heavy/byzantine_lancers_lod2.mesh 2500
67 unit_models/_Units/ES_Greek_Greek_Heavy/byzantine_lancers_lod3.mesh 6400

will work also

I might test that

**Taiji** · April 05, 2009, 12:10 PM

I used to use this approach but then stopped out of sympathy because if you have a slower computer you might use "unit detail" at a setting other than 'highest'. With 'highest' unit detail set, 6400 is the range at which sprites are used and with lower settings the lower distances will come into play.

Basically you're messing up a slow PC's chance of running the game faster.

If you're not bothered about people with slow PC's for some reason then set the distance higher, 10000 gives nicer results than 6400.

edit: btw it's the way vanilla uses most captains and generals and I assume it isn't extended to other units because of the performance issue.

**Eothese** · April 08, 2009, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by sumskilz

15 varangian_guard
1 1
65 unit_models/_Units/ES_Greek_Greek_Heavy/varangian_guard_lod0.mesh 6400

All of the new Kingdoms units I've ported over seem to use this format in their respective .db files already. So with the recommended video card at 128MB for Kingdoms, I can't see battle map performance being impacted to highly by this aspect.

**sumskilz** · April 09, 2009, 02:26 AM

Yeah, with my 8800 GTS I don't even notice a performance difference.

**Taiji** · April 09, 2009, 08:10 AM

As far as video ram goes it should reduce the amount of mem needed to reduce the amount of models used unless they are stored in ram, it's gpu processing power that will be affected negatively by having to process more polys.

The more units on screen the more your card will feel it.

@Eothese, models from kingdoms are not set up like this by default, at least not for me