33 replies to this topic

[clubcaptain]

What would be the recommended poly limit on one object and the total on a number of objects please.

[DPRoberts]

What would be the recommended poly limit on one object and the total on a number of objects please.

Probably the most accurate (and annoying answer) is that it depends. It does raise the interesting topic of game optimization that could occupy a few pages of a thread.

 

A guideline that has been mentioned around here is trying to keep the viewable "tris" count of the course below 3 million. Mike has pointed out that many PP courses may be much lower than that and have limited FPS complaints. 

 

If you are not already doing so, in the Editor, when you hit the Scene Play button, you can click the "Stats" button in the top right of the screen to monitor your "tris" count.

 

For objects specifically, I think it would likely matter if your object was dynamic or static. I would think a 20,000 tris Castle might be less load than a 20,000 tris animating Speedtree. However, it is very possible that either could be placed on your course. It really depends on what else surrounds it and is impacting the CPU/GPU load. 

 

As far as optimization, from a common sense view, I think trying to build with optimization in mind from the very beginning is a good thing. The Pro version of Unity has some analytic tools that would allow you to directly see the impact of certain decisions but no one around here is going to pay for that. With what is available, I think a better guide is the trial and error approach and being aware of your "tris" and "draw calls". 

 

Some models downloaded online may have significantly more tris and materials than you would want in a game. Numbers I have seen for trees is staying below 2000 tris. However, most of the Speedtrees provided with CF are a little above that and seem to be doing well. If you have a large tri count object that you absolutely must have, place it in the game and see what happens. If the game bogs down everytime that object is in view, you may have to decide if you can decrease the number of tris and/or materials for that object or reduce other things you may have in that view causing issues.

Edited by DPRoberts, 30 November 2016 - 02:00 AM.

[clubcaptain]

Thanks for the above. Knowing nothing I have to ask if tri's = polys. 

 

On sketchup the models have the poly count. I've downloaded a few where the poly count is less than 1000 but I don't expect to see a great deal of detail for those numbers.

[NoPutt]

polygon : a closed plane figure bounded by straight lines
triangle : a polygon having three sides
face : any of the plane surfaces that bound a geometric solid

So a Poly can have many tris(triangles).

Tris (triangles) are what is counted

[DPRoberts]

Thanks for the above. Knowing nothing I have to ask if tri's = polys.

On sketchup the models have the poly count. I've downloaded a few where the poly count is less than 1000 but I don't expect to see a great deal of detail for those numbers.

On phone, so no photo to aid discussion but a "tri" is a reference to a "triangle". A poly can refer to several shapes and is probably easier thought of as a "face", although maybe not entirely the same based on NoPutt's definitions above. If you think of a four sided plane, it should have 4 vertices, be composed of 2 "tris" making up the face and possibly be labeled as 1 poly (1 face).

What you know as a 5 sided polygon (pentagon) would have 5 vertices, be composed of 3 tris and count as 1 poly.

Typically, this will mean your tri count will be at least double your poly count. But, it obviously depends on the shapes making up the 3d object.

Import your object in Unity. Click on your object in the project panel and open the inspector tab. There should be a mesh image in that tab making up your object and it will tell you how many tris make up the object and how many uv maps are present as well.

 

Edit - adding image to show Inspector tab for SplineBridge - mesh is bridge01

[DPRoberts]

As an aside and why you should even care about "tris" comes down to your CPU and GPU (graphics processing unit on your graphics card). Here is a typical nerd debate on the internet regarding the processing power of the new NVidia GTX1080.



Interestingly, if the cards can handle billions of triangles a second, then the issue for most of us being able to run a game smoothly probably comes down to the way Unity and/or game developers coding has been programmed to utilize the CPU/GPU. If a new graphics card does not lead one to FPS heaven, the next forum comment will certainly be to purchase a new CPU and RAM. Newer versions of programs, such as Unity, advance in the way they tell the graphics card to handle such information and can off load more of the heavy lifting to the graphics card. For a user, it could mean something as exciting as true reflective water or 3D grass one day!

[clubcaptain]

Probably the most accurate (and annoying answer) is that it depends. It does raise the interesting topic of game optimization that could occupy a few pages of a thread.

 

A guideline that has been mentioned around here is trying to keep the overall "tris" count of the course below 3 million. Mike has pointed out that many PP courses may be much lower than that and have limited FPS complaints. 

 

If you are not already doing so, in the Editor, when you hit the Scene Play button, you can click the "Stats" button in the top right of the screen to monitor your "tris" count.

 

For objects specifically, I think it would likely matter if your object was dynamic or static. I would think a 20,000 tris Castle might be less load than a 20,000 tris animating Speedtree. However, it is very possible that either could be placed on your course. It really depends on what else surrounds it and is impacting the CPU/GPU load. 

 

As far as optimization, from a common sense view, I think trying to build with optimization in mind from the very beginning is a good thing. The Pro version of Unity has some analytic tools that would allow you to directly see the impact of certain decisions but no one around here is going to pay for that. With what is available, I think a better guide is the trial and error approach and being aware of your "tris" and "draw calls". 

 

Some models downloaded online may have significantly more tris and materials than you would want in a game. Numbers I have seen for trees is staying below 2000 tris. However, most of the Speedtrees provided with CF are a little above that and seem to be doing well. If you have a large tri count object that you absolutely must have, place it in the game and see what happens. If the game bogs down everytime that object is in view, you may have to decide if you can decrease the number of tris and/or materials for that object or reduce other things you may have in that view causing issues.

That's not good news ! After 9 holes with some polishing to do the stats tab shows I have 10 million tris. How the heck have i done that 

[DPRoberts]

Hard to say. Start by showing picture of your terrain settings. (Cogwheel button, far right of Inspector tab after clicking on Terrain in Heirarchy) and show pixel error and heightmap resolution. May need 2 screen captures.

If it's not your terrain, my guess is too many trees or downloaded objects with disregard for tris. Put up a screenshot of some holes.

You could also download "Fraps" or some other program that shows frames per second. I believe Steam has one built in as well. Then, build your course and go play in JNPG and take some screenshots where your FPS dips below 30. This could very well be everywhere if the terrain resolution is the problem.

[Acrilix]

I thought Mike said to keep the view to 3 million tris at any point on your course, not to keep the course to 3 million tris total. Perhaps I am mis-remembering though. I do that these days!

[DPRoberts]

I thought Mike said to keep the view to 3 million tris at any point on your course, not to keep the course to 3 million tris total. Perhaps I am mis-remembering though. I do that these days!

This is correct. My phrasing could have been more careful above. It is what is viewable if done correctly by viewing in the GAME tab Stats button. Hit play to get a dynamic number as you view your scene. I don't know how to get a total tris number for the whole course but it may be available. LOD settings and culling make the viewable tris the important number.

[Jimbobh]

Best way I found to see what has a lot of tri's is.. With Camera view.  Click Window in menu bar, Scroll down to Frame debugger, this will open a new window. It will list all of the meshes the camera is rendering, You can click each mesh and see how many verts and idices of each mesh. I usually use the slider at the top of window to go through the meshes quicker and look for anything that might have a lot of verts, then try to reduce them.

 

[olazaboll]

Ok ... back to my Castle ... and this time the Stone Wall:

I missed to check the Generate Colliders upon importing the first time. I then got the ball to pass through the wall.

Back to Unity , I checked the above , and then it worked fine in the game ... Well .... I then struggled myself through to get the Castle to look ok ... I don't know how really, I don't feel I'm the one who drives the bus here .... When I now play the game I get the Castle to collide with the ball but not the Stone Wall ... I noticed that when selecting the Stone Wall it doesn't have the Mesh Collider subsection in the Inspector, like The Castle has, and were I could set the Material of the Castle as Concrete .. ,,, ... Is there were the problem lays ?... for info I used the below you tube clip to understand a bit more about the 3d importing 

I do need the Wall to "Collide" since I use it in other parts of the course ...

 

 

[Kablammo11]

Click on the large button that says "Add Component" at the bottom of your inspector. Select, I believe, "Physics" - then look for Colliders in there, then, in the new section, set the physics material you want.

Of course you have highlighted one of your instances, the second clone of your wall. You need to apply the collider to the prefab for this setting to apply to all your wall elements - or highlight them all in the inspector to apply it in one go.

[olazaboll]

Ok ...thank you ,,, worked as it's supposed now ... Think I have to wish for that "3D in Unity - ABC" for Christmas ....if there is one .... the book that is ...