Skip to content
BLBlender

Lod Architect

by colosyn·Workflow

Images © colosyn. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Lod Architect stands out in the Superhive library for combining LOD generation, mesh cleanup, normals and UV controls, and multi-engine export in a single Blender panel.

What is Lod Architect?

Lod Architect handles LOD generation in Blender, aimed at game pipelines. Select one or more meshes and generate a full LOD chain in one click, with each LOD decimated progressively from the source up to LOD4. It offers per-LOD ratio control or vertex count targets, batch processing across multiple meshes, and a non-destructive approach that always preserves the source mesh. Live modifiers let you tweak ratios directly after generation, and LOD0 can stay at full resolution or be decimated.

Built-in industry presets cover Prop, Hero Asset, Large Prop, and Architecture alongside a Custom mode. Mesh cleanup, pivot alignment, three normals modes (None, Weighted Normals, Transfer Normals), a UV preservation slider, and a planar post-pass targeting flat surfaces give control over the reduction. The LOD Inspector reports real-time per-LOD triangle counts with a wireframe overlay and LOD switching.

Automated hierarchy keeps the outliner clean with source meshes in a source collection, LODs parented under named empties, and auto-naming. A batch exporter outputs LOD groups to Unreal (FBX), Unity (FBX), and Godot (GLB), supporting FBX, OBJ, and GLB formats with optional auto-folder creation per group.

Who is Lod Architect best for?

Lod Architect is best for game pipeline artists building engine-ready LOD chains for Unreal Engine, Unity, or Godot in Blender.

How much does Lod Architect cost?

Lod Architect is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • One-click LOD chain generation up to LOD4, with per-LOD ratio control or vertex count targets and batch processing of multiple meshes
  • Non-destructive workflow that preserves the source mesh, with live modifiers to tweak ratios after generation and an option to keep LOD0 at full resolution
  • Built-in presets: Custom, Prop, Hero Asset, Large Prop, and Architecture
  • Normals control with None, Weighted Normals, or Transfer Normals modes, plus a UV Protection slider (0.0-1.0) to limit texture distortion on decimated LODs
  • Planar post-pass for secondary decimation on flat surfaces, with basic collapse and advanced per-LOD angle control
  • LOD Inspector showing real-time per-LOD triangle counts, a wireframe overlay, and LOD switching
  • Batch exporter with engine presets for Unreal (FBX), Unity (FBX), and Godot (GLB), plus automated hierarchy and auto-naming

Tags

#LOD generation#Game pipeline#Mesh decimation#Blender add-on#Unreal Engine#Unity#Godot

Frequently asked questions

Which Blender versions does Lod Architect support?

Lod Architect supports Blender 3.6 through 5.1 and has been tested on 3.6 LTS, 4.2 LTS, 4.4, 4.5 LTS, and 5.1. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and relies on Python 3.10 or newer, which ships bundled with Blender. FBX and GLB export use Blender's built-in FBX and GLB exporters, so those need to be available in your install. If you move across several Blender releases, the tested LTS versions give you the most confidence.

How do I install Lod Architect in Blender?

Lod Architect installs like a standard Blender add-on. Download lod_architect.zip from Superhive, then in Blender open Edit > Preferences > Add-ons > Install and select the .zip without extracting it. Enable LOD Architect in the add-on list, and you'll find its panel in the 3D Viewport sidebar (press N) under LOD Arch. Version 1.0.1 added bl_order so panels appear in the correct order in the N-panel, and fixed handler persistence so it survives scene reloads and undo operations.

Which engines can Lod Architect export to?

Lod Architect includes a batch exporter with engine presets for Unreal Engine 5, Unity, and Godot. Unreal and Unity use FBX, while Godot uses GLB, and the available formats are FBX, OBJ, and GLB. You can export selected LOD groups or the entire LOD collection in one operation, with optional auto-folder creation per LOD group. Note that LOD groups must sit inside the LOD collection for the Inspector and Exporter to work correctly, and FBX and GLB export rely on Blender's built-in exporters.

Why is Lod Architect reducing fewer triangles than expected?

Lod Architect's UV Preservation feature can limit how far a mesh decimates. It uses vertex weighting to lock UV seam edges and prevent texture distortion, controlled by a UV Protection slider from 0.0 to 1.0. Higher values mean less distortion but slightly less decimation freedom, so meshes with heavy UV seams may not hit the triangle counts you expect at high protection. If counts come out higher than intended, lower the slider. The planar post-pass is also most effective on hard-surface meshes, since organic meshes have few flat regions.

Is Lod Architect free to use?

Lod Architect is listed as free here in our catalog. Since licensing terms can change, check the developer's page on Superhive for the current details before you rely on it for a project. On functionality, the add-on covers LOD chain generation, mesh cleanup, pivot alignment, normals and UV controls, a planar post-pass, a LOD Inspector, automated hierarchy, and a batch exporter, so there's a full feature set available whichever way licensing is set up.

Similar plugins