Lod pipeline

LOD Pipeline

Intentional LOD chains. Preserve silhouette. Validate reductions.

When to Use

• Game assets needing LOD0–N
• Batch LOD for modular kits
• Before Unity/Unreal/Godot export

Workflow

Approve LOD0 → Generate LOD1..N → Fix silhouette breaks
  → Naming → Screen-size table → Export verify

Typical Budgets (guide)

LOD	Tris vs LOD0	Keep
LOD0	100%	Full detail
LOD1	40–60%	Major forms
LOD2	15–30%	Silhouette
LOD3	5–10%	Blob / impostor candidate

Tune per asset importance and camera.

Generation Methods

1. Decimate (planar/collapse) — fast props
2. Manual retopo low — hero characters/vehicles
3. Delete interiors / small parts — vehicles, buildings
4. Bake normals from LOD0 → low — when detail must move to texture

Naming

SM_Asset_LOD0
SM_Asset_LOD1
SM_Asset_LOD2

Collection: COL_LODs_[Asset]

Validation Checklist

• Silhouette matches at intended distance
• No major holes / inverted normals
• UVs still valid (or rebaked)
• Materials slots consistent across LODs
• Vertex colors/UVs needed by shader preserved
• LOD transitions planned (screen size %)

Screen Size Starters

LOD	Screen size (UE-like guide)
LOD0	1.0 – 0.5
LOD1	0.5 – 0.25
LOD2	0.25 – 0.1
LOD3	0.1 – 0.0

Constraints

MUST DO

• Protect silhouette before poly reduction
• Keep LOD0 as source of truth
• Document budgets in production brief

MUST NOT DO

• Blind decimate until unrecognizable
• Different material slot counts across LODs without reason

Reference Guide

Topic	Reference	Load When
Lod Budgets	references/lod-budgets.md	When needed
Lod Validation	references/lod-validation.md	When needed