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3D & Animation Whats more important for a static mesh? (@tripwire or any experienced modeler)

DAEDRICK

Grizzled Veteran
Mar 16, 2006
79
1
Least possible amount of polygones but the object is made off many pieces?

OR

More polygones but a single chunk for the object?

Spoiler!


I making a truck with modular dressing and one of those is a military dressing. The thing is, the cloth(plastic?) cover of the troop compartement is giving me problems, Im debating making it part of the frame or making a new piece for it. The same reasoning apply for other parts as well. For example the wheel rack which is between the cabin and the troop compartement. Should I merge(connect the polygones) it with the frame of the truck, or simply make a new piece entirely just for it. What is more taxing on the engine?

Thank you for the answer.

PS: I know it depends and its relative, but still what is best pratice?
 
Are you exporting the model as a single mesh or in parts? Im not quite sure what your asking. Ideally you want an optimized mesh for use in game but you could unwrap and texture different parts of the model in your modeling program to use different materials and get a sharper look when imported
 
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Are you exporting the model as a single mesh or in parts? Im not quite sure what your asking. Ideally you want an optimized mesh for use in game but you could unwrap and texture different parts of the model in your modeling program to use different materials and get a sharper look when imported

Thats the question, when modeling, is it more efficient and less taxing on the engine to have a single mesh(every polygon island is connected to the other by one or more polygon/in other words: a single element) or have parts that are attached togheter(grouped/many elements)?

For instance, lets take that troop compartment on that truck. I could make the bottom part, then extrude the cover out of the bottom part which make more polygones but its made of 1 single element. Or I could make the bottom part, then model the cover as a new object reducing the amount of polygons but I now have two element instead of one.

Its all about optimisation and good modeling pratice, something that I didnt learn.
 
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Multiple meshes are useful for modular objects; objects created through multiple configurations of the same meshes. Outside of that, not really. The disadvantage is hidden faces will always be rendered and each mesh loads its own separate materials. UT3 had mesh compositing but it required creative masking because it merged not just the meshes but all their materials into one. I'm not sure if it's game specific or an engine feature but unless your plan is something like Borderlands guns, you're better off with a single mesh.
 
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