Lower LOD for Linksets?

[Anna Nova]

My other half and I are building a very complicated house at our parcel in Ogilvie.  It is an SL model of a real building, and we are making it together, so in the end the High LOD version will be a linkset of some of my Meshes made in Blender, and some of hers made in world of prim, and converted to mesh using this mesh converter.

Now I understand (a little about) how to make lower LOD meshes in Blender, and I guess she can make simplified prim-mesh things too.  This is how we plan to make the medium-LOD versions.  However, doing it this way means that we will always have the same number of items in the linkset as the LOD or view distance changes.

Is it possible to make a lower LOD model to replace a Linkset at distance?  I'm actually thinking that at long distance a solid 2-prim block would suffice.  And, yes, I may be out of my mind (making things for SL does that).

Anna

[arton Rotaru]

4 hours ago, anna2358 said:

Is it possible to make a lower LOD model to replace a Linkset at distance?

mmmmhmmm.... no!
Well, one could make another mesh, that would cover the original building, which swapps materials at the lower LODs. Hence, high and medium LOD would have material B, and low and lowest LOD would have material A assigned. Where material B is transparent, and material A is opaque. Material A would only show when the low and lowest LOD would be displayed. The 2nd material has to be carried somewhere hidden as usual indeed.

However, since such a "cover" mesh would be pretty large for a building, it would switch to lower LODs much later, if at all, than the original linkset building, which makes it totally not reasonable to even try. You would also add another mesh object which would add to the land impact as well.

Depending on the size of the buildings mesh pieces, I like to keep the main structure at it's highest LOD (use LOD above) in all slots. Usually there isn't much to take away from  walls anyway, and degrading them will look pretty disturbing, at least to me. If the building has transparent windows, even degrading the inside does look stupid. I'll rather take a little higher land impact, but have a pretty solid building throughout all distances.

If the pieces are big enough, there isn't much, or any gain in having reduced geometry at the lower LODs anyway, in regards to land impact. It won't reduce the land impact any further.

4 hours ago, anna2358 said:

And, yes, I may be out of my mind

mmmmmmhmmm.....yes!