Compare your earlier and current mesh creations

[Peony Sweetwater]

So, in the past there has probably been a show off thread for our mesh creations...but I can't find it. So as a relative newbie to meshing, I thought I'd start a new one...but with a bit of a difference. Here's a chance to show off not only what you're working on, but also having a chance to reflect on how you've improved and what you've learned from your project about meshing in SL. I'm hoping that in learning what others have done to improve their meshing, it might also provide tips and thought starters as we seek to improve and optimise our meshes.

Here's a recent example of what I've been working on, with two similar potted plants:

My early one on the left never quite got the shape I wanted with the mess of planes, and it was tricky to get the plane LODs the way I wanted them. On the right I discovered simple ico-spheres as the base for the bush, and worked out how to bake AOs and play with normal maps for the pot. Had fun with both working out how best to make the LOD models. I'm still trying to work out why small objects break down to lower LODs so quickly. On the left, the pot & bush are one mesh, while on the right they are only linked meshes. The pot on the right jumps to the medium LOD a lot closer than the single joined mesh, meaning I've had to put a bit more detail into the medium level LOD than I would have had the pot been one mesh with the plant.

[ChinRey]

16 hours ago, Peony Swee*****er said:

I'm still trying to work out why small objects break down to lower LODs so quickly.

 

[Peony Sweetwater]

14 hours ago, ChinRey said:

[Link to massively impressive information on mesh LOD]

Thanks for reminding me of that - I'm in awe of the knowledge that some of you hold!

I did read it the other day, but didn't properly take it in. It's only really started to make sense once I started playing with it in world. I think I'd assumed that it was for the size of the total link, not the individual mesh...or at least I'd hoped that was the case! Certainly it's obvious it changes far too quickly for small objects and far too slowly for big ones. Anyway, thanks for the info - it helped me to work out that joining groups of books for my latest bookshelf project will give better LOD distances.

[Luna Bliss]

On ‎1‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 7:45 PM, Peony Swee*****er said:

Here's a chance to show off not only what you're working on, but also having a chance to reflect on how you've improved and what you've learned from your project about meshing in SL.

Wow what an improvement...you should be proud if you're not already