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Level Of Detail Manager

by Tim Zoet·Workflow

Images © Tim Zoet. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Earns its place in the superhive library for bringing level of detail, long available in the Blender Game Engine but not in Internal or Cycles, to distance-based swapping of meshes, modifiers, constraints and materials.

What is Level Of Detail Manager?

Level of detail is often used in games to improve framerates and reduce memory usage, and the Blender Game Engine supports it too. Blender Internal and Cycles do not. Level Of Detail Manager, an add-on from Tim Zoet, fills that gap by adding LOD support so you can make the viewport more responsive and decrease render times.

The workflow starts by creating an LOD Group: a set of objects with different meshes, modifiers, constraints and materials. You then define the distance at which each object should be visible. Linking another object to that group copies its mesh, modifiers and other properties from one of the group's objects, depending on distance to the camera. You can create as many groups as you like, each with as many levels of detail as you need, and set whether an object uses LOD in the viewport, during rendering, or both.

Version 1.2 added support for objects outside the view frustum and full compatibility with the Particle Instantiator add-on, which can be combined to add level of detail to particles. The add-on runs on Blender 2.7x under a GPL license.

Who is Level Of Detail Manager best for?

Level Of Detail Manager is best for blender artists working in Blender Internal or Cycles who want to swap object detail by camera distance to speed up the viewport and reduce render times.

How much does Level Of Detail Manager cost?

Level Of Detail Manager is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Per-object control over whether level of detail applies in the viewport, during rendering, or both
  • LOD Groups that use high-polycount meshes for close-ups and less detailed meshes for far away
  • Modifier options such as Subdivision Surface with different subdivision counts, or removing modifiers hardly visible from a distance
  • Constraint support, including the Track To constraint for creating billboards
  • Material swapping, so complexity like detailed bump maps or complex shaders can differ between close and distant views
  • Copy From Active To Selected and Update Objects buttons, plus the option to drive swaps from the active camera or a custom object
  • Combines with the Particle Instantiator add-on to add level of detail to particles, and handles objects outside the view frustum

Tags

#LOD#level of detail#viewport performance#render optimization#Cycles#Blender Internal#add-on#particles

Frequently asked questions

Does Level Of Detail Manager work in Cycles?

Level Of Detail Manager adds LOD support to Blender Internal and Cycles, which do not offer level of detail on their own even though the Blender Game Engine does. Once installed, you build an LOD Group of objects with different meshes, modifiers, constraints and materials, then set the distance at which each becomes visible. A linked object then draws its mesh and other properties from the group based on distance to the camera, and you can decide whether that applies in the viewport, during rendering, or both.

What Blender version does Level Of Detail Manager support?

Level Of Detail Manager is listed for Blender 2.7x. You can set whether each object uses level of detail in the viewport, during rendering, or both, and choose to drive the swap from the active camera or a custom object you select. Version 1.1 added an Update Objects button to refresh the viewport without changing the frame number, and version 1.2 added support for objects outside the view frustum. For current compatibility with newer Blender releases, check the developer's page.

Can Level Of Detail Manager add level of detail to particles?

Level Of Detail Manager can add level of detail to particles when combined with the Particle Instantiator add-on, and as of version 1.2 the two are fully compatible. On its own, the add-on handles detail through modifiers such as Subdivision Surface at different subdivision counts, constraints like Track To for billboards, and material complexity that you can vary between close-up and distant views. You can also copy settings from one object to many using the Copy From Active To Selected button.

Is Level Of Detail Manager free to use?

Level Of Detail Manager is listed as free in this catalog and is distributed under a GPL license. Licensing terms can change, so check the developer's page for the current details before you download. The add-on has been published for close to ten years and carries a small number of ratings on superhive. It targets Blender 2.7x and works alongside the Particle Instantiator add-on if you want to extend level of detail to particle systems.

Alternatives to Level Of Detail Manager

Also in Workflow for Blender.

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