• Which the release of FS2020 we see an explosition of activity on the forun and of course we are very happy to see this. But having all questions about FS2020 in one forum becomes a bit messy. So therefore we would like to ask you all to use the following guidelines when posting your questions:

    • Tag FS2020 specific questions with the MSFS2020 tag.
    • Questions about making 3D assets can be posted in the 3D asset design forum. Either post them in the subforum of the modelling tool you use or in the general forum if they are general.
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    • Questions about airport design can be posted in the FS2020 airport design forum. Once airport development tools have been updated for FS2020 you can post tool speciifc questions in the subforums of those tools as well of course.
    • Questions about terrain design can be posted in the FS2020 terrain design forum.
    • Questions about SimConnect can be posted in the SimConnect forum.

    Any other question that is not specific to an aspect of development or tool can be posted in the General chat forum.

    By following these guidelines we make sure that the forums remain easy to read for everybody and also that the right people can find your post to answer it.

Blender LN LODs Calculator FREE Addon for Blender

Losco Nosciuto

Losco Nosciuto

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Announcing LN LODs, FREE Addon for Blender!

I'm thrilled to share LN LODs, a Blender addon designed to streamline Level of Detail (LOD) management and improve workflow efficiency for Blender users, integrated with the official with MSFS Asobo Exporter

DOWNLOAD HERE

Here's a quick video about its functionality and usage:


🌟 Features:

1. Vertex-Based Interpolation of data:
LN LODs calculates screen sizes based on vertex counts for collections following standard LOD naming conventions (`_LOD00`, `_LOD01`, `_LOD02`, etc.).
2. MSFS Asobo Exporter Integration:
Automatically updates the screen space size values for your LOD collections directly in the Multi Exporter tab.
3. 2% Screen Space Margin (Optional):
Fine-tune the calculated values with an optional 2% margin for screen space size.
5. Integrated Documentation:
Access the detailed README file directly from the Blender Add-ons menu or from the Addon Tab.

🛠️ How to Use:

1. Ensure your LOD collections follow proper naming conventions (`_LOD00`, `_LOD01`, etc.) and contain the necessary mesh objects.
2. In the MSFS Asobo Exporter, enable Grouped by Collections in the Objects tab.
3. Use the LN LODs panel under View3D > Sidebar > LNLODs:

* Use Calculate LOD Sizes to compute interpolated screen space values.
* Use Set LOD Values in Asobo Exporter to automatically transfer the computed data.
* Clear results with the Clear Data button when needed.

🔧 Installation:

1. Download the LN LODs addon.
2. Extract the folder and place it in your Blender Add-ons directory or install it via Edit > Preferences > Add-ons > Install.
3. Enable LNLODs in the Add-ons menu and start using it.

💡 Why LNLODs?

LOD management can be time-consuming, but LN LODs automates critical steps while maintaining flexibility. If you’re developing for MSFS 2020, LN LODs enhances your workflow with precision and simplicity. And it's FREE!


📬 Feedback and Support:

Your feedback is invaluable! Feel free to reach out with questions, feature requests, or issues on my DISCORD
 
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Quick update for the LN LODs Plugin:




## Changelog




1.8

- Replaced the previous fixed 2% margin checkbox with a dynamic float input

- Improved error handling and debugging messages.

- Enhanced UI for better clarity:
- Red highlighting for out-of-range collections.
- Cleaner layout and labels in the Sidebar.
- Added tooltips to all the available interaction points

- LOD collections exceeding 2 million vertices are now included in the results but marked as out of range.
These out of range collections now:
- Are displayed in red in the LOD Results panel.
- Show a warning in the log: "Vertex Count out of range for [collection name]."

- Values are now rounded up by the nearest higher integer when transferred to the Asobo Exporter, avoiding 3D models to disappear due to being on a decimal value rounded up lower than the minimum



Download link is still valid
 
SORRY another update for LN LODs Calc. Plugin for Blender 3.6.

Thanks to @mamu for reporting.

Due to the sim, forcing triangulation on exported meshes, the LOD value was always off due to an inconsistent vertex count between blender and MSFS2020 / 2024.

Along with that, collections compliant with the FS2024 naming convention weren't taken in account. Here's the changelog for 2.0




```
2.0

Code: 
- The Plugin now supports recognizing LOD collections with both single-digit (e.g., _LOD1) and double-digit (e.g., _LOD01) suffixes.


    - The vertex counting logic now accounts for additional vertices generated by the sim, triangulating the output meshes:
        - Adds 2 vertices for quads.
        - Adds (n - 3) vertices for ngons, where n is the number of edges.
```


New version is available for download. Links are still valid:

LN Design - Tools for Developers
 
VERSION 2.5 OF THE LN LODS CALCULATOR PLUGIN HAS JUST RELEASED!

DOWNLOAD HERE

This allows an almost perfect calculation of the number of vertices.

This new version simulates the same export pipeline as the duo *"Khronos GLTF Exporter + Asobo Multi Exporter"* to extract almost 1:1 scale values. Marginal error is minimal. See the Usage Instructions in the ReadMe for further infos!

This new version, is precise with a margin of about 8 Vertices on a 750v mesh, and 50 vertices on a 6000v mesh.

Primitives so far are in a 1:1 state of closeness as seen in the screenshots here!

1736434383366.png
1736434389959.png


DOWNLOAD HERE
Original Download Link is always valid!
 
LN LODs Calculator Plugin for Blender Has released V2.7! As always, it's downloadable HERE


If you're curious about how it works, here's a quick video tutorial:


Here's the changelog:

Code: 
2.7
    - Expanded Data Array
        Significantly increased the number of reference points in the internal DATA array.
        This improvement allows for a WAY MORE precise mapping between vertex counts and screen space values over a wider range, from 0 to the Sim Hard Cap of 1000.
        
    - Cubic Spline Interpolation
        Replaced the previous linear interpolation with Catmull-Rom cubic spline, providing smoother transitions and more accurate interpolation between key points.
        
    - Vertices Limits
        Removed the fixed 2,000,000 vertex limit.
        The plugin now determines the “out of range” threshold based on the highest key in the DATA array, making it dynamic and more scalable for further changes by Asobo.
    
    - Cleanup
        Minor code cleanups and added boundary handling for Catmull-Rom interpolation to avoid artifacts at extreme values.


----------------------------------------------


2.6


    - Added "Hide Hidden Collections" Checkbox to exclude them from the calculations
 
Hello:

As this is an 'announcement' thread for LN LODs Calculator, since it has no dedicated forum, I see why you posted here.

But since you are seeking a better understanding of this subject in general, you may also consider posting in the MCX forum.

Arno has recently updated the MCX features related to LODs and vertex complexity, so you may also want his feedback, too.

Nice looking 3D model, BTW. :)

Good luck with your query.

GaryGB
 
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GaryGB said:
Hello:

As this is an 'announcement' thread for LN LODs Calculator, since it has no dedicated forum, I see why you posted here.

But since you are seeking a better understanding of this subject in general, you may also consider posting in the MCX forum.

Arno has recently updated the MCX features related to LODs and vertex complexity,so you may also want his feedback, too.

Nice looking 3D model, BTW. :)

Good luck with your query.

GaryGB
Click to expand...
Sorry i was frustrated with my models and didnt even see topic name. my bad!
 
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