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FSX LOD settings

Balu0

Balu0

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5
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hungary
Hi

What would be the correct LOD setting for a simple small object and for a bigger hangar?

If I leave the model with only 1 lod at 100 then my object is rendered in extreme distances. technically they are always rendered even when tyh are jut 1 pixel.

If I set more than 1 Lod than my small object is rendered only when I go relay close.

I made a lot of trial and 4error but could not figure out a correct setting.

Anything else have an effect of render distance in the sim ?
 
Set your actual object at LOD 100. Then set the empty LOD around 10. Vary the 10 until it disappears when you want in FS.
 
I have never had to use an empty LOD model, but that is a fascinating work around to accomplish your goal. Balu0, I think much of your issue is a misunderstanding of the purpose of using the level of detail feature of the simulator. In order to compensate for limited processing power, developers created an option to substitute lower detail models when the screen resolution would not display the intricate details the graphics engine would otherwise have to render. The equation can be understood that the level of detail (LOD) model is rendered when it occupies the corresponding number of pixels on the screen. To state it in quantifiable terms: a model of an aircraft carrier could easily have thousands of polygons when it occupies a large portion of the screen; LOD 100 or even higher, however, at the other end of the scale, when the carrier occupies 16 pixels, LOD 16, a simple box of some 10 polygons would probably be adequate, leaving all that processing power to render the rest of the fleet without dragging frame rates.
Bear in mind that global settings in the simulator for draw distance and other graphics detail levels usually control the distances at which objects appear, albeit that these adjustments do not account for models that have strange or non-standard properties. However, Tom's solution seems unpredictable to me because, if the render engine selects the model based on the number of pixels it occupies, he would hope the calculation is based on the LOD 100 model, or whichever is the main model and that seems arbitrary at best. I would prefer to use at least a polygon or several to represent my "cutoff" model and have them be of approximately equivalent physical dimension to my main model.
 
I know many people that use empty LOD models and they seem to work fine.
 
I am not disputing the functionality. The logic by which "zero polygon LOD models" are utilized and the role they reportedly accomplish is a bastardization of the LOD algorithm. The algorithm is to allow graphics to render efficiently - and not to control the distance at which objects appear. Consequently, the visibility distance results must be haphazard, at best, because they were definitely not engineered into the software.
Here are three separate articles on the subject of graphics LOD implementation and please note that none of them refer to "empty lod's," but they all refer to reduced polygon LOD models to facilitate rendering. One article even goes into detail about how to limit the "pop" of changing models, which would roughly correspond to a contradiction of intention since the stated goal is to make the model pop in and out of visibility at an intended distance.
http://people.cs.clemson.edu/~dhouse/courses/405/notes/OpenGL-mipmaps.pdf
http://rastergrid.com/blog/2010/10/gpu-based-dynamic-geometry-lod/
http://computer-graphics.se/TSBK07-files/pdf/PDF09/10 LOD.pdf
 
Hi, thx for the replays.

I know how LOD supposed to work, my problem is, that my objects are rendered from extreme distance, if I just export it from gmax and put it into a library.

Is that normal ?
 
Balu0 said:
Hi

What would be the correct LOD setting for a simple small object and for a bigger hangar?

If I leave the model with only 1 lod at 100 then my object is rendered in extreme distances. technically they are always rendered even when they are just 1 pixel.

If I set more than 1 Lod than my small object is rendered only when I go really close.

I made a lot of trial and error but could not figure out a correct setting.

Anything else have an effect of render distance in the sim ?
Click to expand...


You may wish to review the LOD-related documentation for ModelConverterx (aka "MCX"):

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/wiki/index.php?title=ModelConverterX#ObjectModel_settings


FYI: Another possible factor that further affects run time rendering of 3D scenery object LODs is this FSX.Cfg parameter value:

SmallPartRejectRadius=[Number]

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/fsx-se-poor-lod-loading.435204/


BTW: Did you use MIPMAPS of at least 7 levels within "Powers-of-2" format textures mapped onto your 3D models ? :scratchch

GaryGB
 
Last edited:
Balu0 said:
Hi, thx for the replays.

I know how LOD supposed to work, my problem is, that my objects are rendered from extreme distance, if I just export it from gmax and put it into a library.

Is that normal ?
Click to expand...

Yes that is normal. The exact distance also depends on the bounding box size of the object. If you want to limit it you need to use levels of detail like discussed before.
 
GaryG:
"BTW: Did you use MIPMAPS of at least 7 levels within "Powers-of-2" format textures mapped onto your 3D models ? :scratchch"

I hope so, I used Modelconverter's tool tp convert my BMP to DDS.

Arno:
Thx
 
Last edited:
Hi,

By default MCX will add mipmaps to the textures, that's the default behavior for a very long time already.

And mipmaps have nothing to do with the visibility issue discussed in this thread.
 
Thanks Arno :teacher:, the whole mipmap thing :spam: was starting to get me confused :confused:. I think :scratchch it is a good idea :idea: to stay on topic :twocents:.
 
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