This workflow example provides an overview of how you can create LOD meshes and set up an LOD group in Maya Creative, then transfer them to your game engine. In this workflow, we'll automatically generate the lower resolution versions of the mesh, but you can also work with a set of meshes that you've already reduced. In that case, you can skip the first few steps here and instead see Create an LOD group.
For this example, we'll call it Sven_Mesh.
Sven_Mesh
Sven_Mesh
Sven_Mesh
By default, the LOD group is set up with its Threshold Type set to Screen Height Percentage, which means the LOD meshes will be swapped out based on the percentage of screen height taken up by the overall LOD group in the current camera frame. See Level of Detail attributes for more information.
Your scene now displays geometry from only one level at a time, and as you move the camera the level that displays changes.
For example, if you initially added your character mesh to an LOD group, you can add the character’s weapons to the same structure.
Sven_HiRes
Sven_Gun_HiRes
Sven_MedRes
Sven_Gun_MedRes
Sven_LowRes
Sven_Gun_LowRes
If you find that the default LOD switching threshold values don't produce the results you want, select the LODn_group node and adjust the default values for triggering each level. For example, to make the switch to LOD_2 happen when the object is further away, change LOD_2_Display Start to a higher value.
Zoom in and out in the scene to test your changes.
When you export your LOD group as an FBX file, the LOD switching and Threshold settings you have specified can be properly transferred. See Export LOD groups to your game engine.