Creating LoD models, case study 2, Lesson 6

 

Tutorials: Creating LoD models, case study 2, Lesson 6

Creating LoD models

Case study 2: Lesson 6 - The faraway

Here's the lowest LoD model:



and yes, I could have done a little bit better...

I don't know if anybody remembers an old C&W song called "The Builder":

  Ev'ry builder knows that the secret to survival
  Is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep

(Kenny Rodgers rewrote the lyrics and called it "The Gambler" but that advice doesn't make any sense at all to gamblers of course.)

A common problem with the lowest LoD model - and sometimes with other LoD models too - is what we need to keep. We need to keep triangles outlining the main elements. We also need to keep at least one triangle for each face and those are not necessarily the same ones.

In this LoD model the horizontal beam at the top is very prominent and needs four triangles, two facing each direction. Texturing isn't very important there though, we just need the shape. So, assign those four triangles to four different faces and we save three tris elsewhere in the model. There isn't much more to say about this model, really. I obviously kept four triangles for the actual sign - that part is important at any distance - and then cut down as much as possible everywhere else.

Lesson 7 - Getting physical