Tony_Hilliam
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You can view the page at https://forums.auran.com/trainz/content.php?152-Controlling-Level-of-Detail-Distance
Article: Controlling Level of Detail Distance
- Thread starter Tony_Hilliam
- Start date
You have got a 4-item list describing 4 transition points for 5 LOD levels. That's confusing. Wouldn't it make more sense for the list to define the cutoff distance for the LOD with the same index:
mesh-table-lod-transition-distances 10.0, 30.0, 150.0, 1000.0 2000.0
This example specifies the cutoff distances for an asset with 5 mesh-table LOD levels.
The first (LOD 0) is used for distances up to 10.0m.
The next (LOD 1) is used for distances up to 30.0m.
The next (LOD 2) is used for distances up to 150.0m.
The next (LOD 3) is used for distances up to 1000.0m.
The last (LOD 4) is used for distances up to 2000.0m.
The asset is not displayed at all beyond 2000.0m.
mesh-table-lod-transition-distances 10.0, 30.0, 150.0, 1000.0 2000.0
This example specifies the cutoff distances for an asset with 5 mesh-table LOD levels.
The first (LOD 0) is used for distances up to 10.0m.
The next (LOD 1) is used for distances up to 30.0m.
The next (LOD 2) is used for distances up to 150.0m.
The next (LOD 3) is used for distances up to 1000.0m.
The last (LOD 4) is used for distances up to 2000.0m.
The asset is not displayed at all beyond 2000.0m.
Mesh-table LOD is not currently a replacement for lm.txt, but this change takes it one step closer to those capabilities. LM.txt is still the correct answer for most animated and moving objects.
The change here is specifically to allow LOD transitions to occur at user-defined distances, overriding the system defaults. This means that your LOD transitions can be customised for edge cases where the system defaults are inappropriate.
chris
Each distance that you specify is a LOD transition. With a single distance specified, that means you have two LOD levels. With two distances, three LOD levels, and so on. The final LOD level extends out to the system-wide draw distance for the asset type in question.
Given how mesh-table LOD works, you may have zero or more meshes for each LOD level. If you want the lowest LOD level to have no meshes at all, acting as an early cut-off, that remains entirely valid.
chris
Dinorius_Redundicus
kuid 68213
From a creator's perspective, that is such excellent and long-awaited news. Trainz 2018 is shaping up to be a major advance. Will there still be some minimum poly-reduction criteria or are they gone for good under this new system?
I thought that was the intention, but thanks for the clarification. In any case this move will encourage creators to make TB4.6 assets. Looking forward to playing with this when comes along.
I thought that was the intention, but thanks for the clarification. In any case this move will encourage creators to make TB4.6 assets. Looking forward to playing with this when comes along.
Me too, will make life a whole lot easier with lod.
Yes - but that's a backwards way to do it. A LOD level without a mesh is an inconsistency, and is not needed at all with a simple change to mesh-table-lod-transition-distances tag. Much better to assume that any LOD level that has been specified has a mesh, and needs to be drawn, but the items in the mesh-table-lod-transition-distances tag match one-to-one with the LOD levels. Much easier than remembering that there is always one less mesh-table-lod-transition-distances list item than there are LOD levels, and that the no-mesh trick is needed to specify a cutoff. In fact, specifying a cutoff should be mandatory - requiring the mesh-table-lod-transition-distances list item count to match the LOD levels is a simple way to do that.
Hi All --
I know that a high-end video card will be needed, no problem for me there; However, how would of these effects, etc affect the cpu? In terms of one's pc heating up! For example on one of my pc;s I have in it an old cpu which dates back to 2011, but a good video card on the motherboard, and computers do get hot sometimes flying some intensive high graphic games!
I'm no tech-wiz, so anyone throw in here your 2 cents on the subject! LOL
Thanks
Ish
I know that a high-end video card will be needed, no problem for me there; However, how would of these effects, etc affect the cpu? In terms of one's pc heating up! For example on one of my pc;s I have in it an old cpu which dates back to 2011, but a good video card on the motherboard, and computers do get hot sometimes flying some intensive high graphic games!
I'm no tech-wiz, so anyone throw in here your 2 cents on the subject! LOL
Thanks
Ish
Not really. In fact, it's mostly a matter of semantics. If you add the extra value, it will give the result you describe. The only difference is that the "cutoff" isn't mandatory- you can instead (and are encouraged to, for larger objects) allow the user to select the appropriate draw distance rather than forcing one.
chris
We don't anticipate any significant additional CPU usage. Unless your CPU is a major bottleneck for you at the current time, I wouldn't worry too much about it.
That they do. I would posit that any desktop computer that is unable to cool its components is broken. If you're having problems with this, perhaps invest in an improved cooling system (or a newer, more efficient CPU). Laptops on the other hand have a tendency to throttle back under sustained load, which can result in them running worse than you'd expect for their given specifications.
chris
Hello Chris --
Thank you, sir for your explanations!
I'm good here, but I know the trainz community, and hopefully people read these posts about the next Trainz, and don't get caught off-guard!
Take Care
Ish
A side question:
Whatever happened to VR and Trainz, since it seemed you've invested great interest about it, Chris?
Thank you, sir for your explanations!
I'm good here, but I know the trainz community, and hopefully people read these posts about the next Trainz, and don't get caught off-guard!
Take Care
Ish
A side question:
Whatever happened to VR and Trainz, since it seemed you've invested great interest about it, Chris?
I think the CC community will like these changes BUT it will be for TB4.6 and beyond.
There has been, and will be, some changes to configs and validation that should, in theory, improve routes. But they will take time to filter through. Some of us take interest in this.:hehe:
Probably better to start a separate topic for that one. Short version: I've dabbled with it, it works surprisingly well, but current hardware is expensive and/or limited and we don't think that there's enough community interest in the immediate short term to prioritise the work. We'll continue to track community interest and the state of the hardware, and i'm sure I'll keep dabbling when I have time free (as you can probably guess, I have other things keeping me busy right now..)
chris
Hi Chris --
More less that's what I thought since you haven't updated the thread on this subject!
Thanks for the info! :wave:
Take Care
Ish
