[RELEASED] Imposter System OPTIMIZATION

Finally IMPOSTERS in Unity! Imposter System in a few clicks will speed up your scene 20 times! System replace complex 3D objects with 2D sprites (imposters).

Now available on ASSET STORE!!!
(full source code)
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Imposter System works just like described here in official NVidia book 'GPU Gems'.

Unique features of Imposter System:

• Fully realtime
• Works with multiple cameras(VR support, see known issues)
• Works with non-static objects
• Internal imposters mesh combining, allows to render 4k objects with one drawcall
• Super fast water reflection
• Fading between imposters

Some of the advantages of Imposter System:

• Full source code included
• Increases FPS in the scene 20-30 times
• No preprocessing
  
• Works on any platform
  
• Easy to install

In the future:

• Viewport imposters (v1.3)
• Terrain-like imposters (v1.4)

Your feedback may change the priority of development

Known issues:

• Unity 2017.2 and patches of 2017.1 - incorrect work. Problem: unity bug in Instantiate() method. Workaround: set 'isStatic' field of ImposterController to false and hit 'Apply'.
• Unity 5.6 and later - incorrect rendering. Fix: disable "Allow HDR" on imposterCamera gameobject.
• You cant use image effects on 'imposterCamera' otherwise you will have incorrect atlas rendering.
• VR doesnt work with native VR integration like in Unity5.6 an later due to limitation of changing fieldOfView on cameras.

Links:
YouTube playlist​

WebPlayerDEMO AndroidDEMO​

Docs

Contact me​

Video:

New version development:
https://forum.unity.com/threads/wip-impostors-2019.759110/

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Полезная вещь!
Думаю, если совместить с Occlusion Culling, то результат будет весьма фееричным.

 

Very impressive, I will definitely follow this thread

A smooth transition between 3d model and billboard could be useful, because I think it's really hard to get an instant trnasition between model and billboard where the play really sees absolutely nothing.

 

Very nice. Is each billboard its own gameobject (or graphics.drawmesh)?

 

Each billboard its own gameobject because graphics.drawmesh quite slowly when 2000 GO on the scene.
Test:
- Drawmesh - 75 FPS.
- MeshRenderer - 120 FPS

 

Thanks for the reply!
Here is video that shows "transition between 3d model and billboard".

I think its hard to see when actually the transition occurs.

One bad point is the transition between billboards. I think I will add smooth transition for billboards in future.

 

Check out NEW demonstrational video!!!

 

Realtime Billboard System with Directional Light 4100 OBJECTS.
Duration of the original video - 15 minutes. Billboards are updated every 8 seconds.

 

1.How can down?
2.Can be affected by GI？
3.Memory usage will increase？
4.Shadow how to deal with？
5.The far people how to into the room

 

New video about Realtime Billboard System OPTIMIZATION!!! Check this out!!!!

 

Now you can try Realtime Billboard System for FREE!!!​

TRIAL VERSION
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Here is new DEMO!!!
Try it out!
(for max performance use fullscreen mode)

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1. "How can down?"
Currently system in revision in Asset Store, but you can download TRIAL VERSION and buy asset directly from me.
2. "Can be affected by GI?"
It's works like a normal unity rendering. Anyway, do you really need GI for very far objects?
3. "Memory usage will increase?"
Yes, memory usage depends on detalisation level. For example: 'example' scene with 4096 objects use only 24 MB - this is for one RenderTexture with size 2048x2048.

4. "Shadow how to deal with"
In future you will can enable shadow rendering and maybe shadow casting.
5. "The far people how to into the room"
How to start work with asset? I shared video tutorial where you find how to work with this asset.

 

Currently I'm working on new feature of Billboard System.
Check this out!

 

So, today I made a little research. I was looking for competitors and I found them! Real Imposter LOD optimization - very similar to my Billboard System Optimization, but has many defects.
For example:

• works only with one camera
• produce one draw call for every single object
• doesnt work with transparent object
• creator stop developing.

Billboard System Optimization does not have such problems.

But that's not all!​

According to this posts:

• https://developer.nvidia.com/gpugems/GPUGems3/gpugems3_ch21.html
• http://blog.wolfire.com/2010/10/Imposters
• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/unity3d-using-imposters-reduce-poly-count-alon-schachter

I must change the name of my asset to something like 'Imposter System Optimization'... I'm very confused!
So, I asking You, guys: What you think about changing the name?

 

Tested and works fine in editor without lags .Real Imposter LOD optimization had lags .I will test it more

 

wow... Where you attach post processign image effect? And what is that image effect? What version of Unity?

 

Problem still exist after remove it.
So i think problem was not post effects

 

After removing all Post Processing Stack components from all cameras
Unity 5.6.1p4

 

So what version of Unity?
if Unity 5.6 or later Fix: disable "allowMSAA" on 'billboardCamera' gameobject.

 

Another issue when i have tested its on a new scen when i drag your building prefab :

Code (CSharp):

1. Destroy may not be called from edit mode! Use DestroyImmediate instead.
2. Also think twice if you really want to destroy something in edit mode. Since this will destroy objects permanently.
3. UnityEngine.Object:Destroy(Object)
4. BillboardSystem.Helper:Destroy(Object)
5. BillboardSystem.BillboardContoller:RenderForSceneCamera(Camera)
6. BillboardSystem.BillboardControllerEditor:OnSceneGUI()
7. UnityEditor.DockArea:OnGUI()

You need to use DestroyImmediate in editor codes

 

Attached video

 

Thank you to spending time on this! But You didnt reply yet about your version of Unity.

 

5.6.1p4
I will try different settings non different projects Because i need this tool to render lots of trees and grass

 

That how my Destroy() method looks:

Code (CSharp):

1.  
2. public static class Helper{
3. public static void Destroy(Object obj) {
4.             if (Application.isPlaying)
5.                 Object.Destroy(obj);
6.             else
7.                 Object.DestroyImmediate(obj);
8.         }
9. }

So I could not expect such output...

 

This looks like a solid product. Is the time when pixels are captured controlled by script, or is there some automatic update loop? Would it be possible to control how often imposters are created based on distance from camera .etc

 

There is automatic update loop depending on changing direction between camera and object. But you can manually update imposter.

In general the further the object the less direction changes, the less imposters updates. But additional controls on this is good idea.

 

Everything is ok on the new project even with post effecs

 

Unity 2017.2 beta

And another error about removed if(!isWebPlayer) webplayer support

 

Dose not worked for me again on a new scene. Sample scene is still OK
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2WDRR3zNNn8bDVHQjhKdG5SNlE/view?usp=sharing

Update :
Also the problem randomly happens in the demo scene too when i have deleted eye2. Fixed by undoing delete action

 

Sorry, that's my fault. You need to disable 'AllowHDR' on 'billboardCamera' gameobject. Here is image, that illustrate where you can find that.

 

Solved Thank you
Don't forget to fix Billboard activator toggle box on UI in the new release.. It does not work.
Also fix errors on 2017.2 because your files are DLL and we cannot modify them

 

New comparison:


note: some guys asked about tree leaves that disappear on far billboards. This is not related to imposter system. This is a normal rendering limitation on leave shaders on the all game engines.
How to fix it?
You must use tree LOD with Billboard texture on last LOD channel. Similar to SpeedTree sample trees

 

It is quite simple to fix: just set minTextureResolution to 64.

 

Fix all these errors(and little more) in the new version.

Also now you can render self-shadows of the object. Make sure that shadows are enabled in the light settings.

 

Works like a charm with speed tree:

 

how does it work tho if speed trees have different LOD setups LOD0, LOD1, LOD2 then the billboard. Does this system overide that stuff and goes straight from LOD0 to billboard?

 

Yes. My test was using LODs.
This is a similar LOD system with realtime Billboard support

 

Image comparison: 90 m tri => 2.1 m triangles
Note: front trees has been used AO from post effects


I will test it on android build

 

Tested on low-end android device (Huawei Y5 4G)
1. Performance is OK but with "10 or lower" update per frame. More update time value = more spike
Why ?
Memory limitation
but result is OK from GPU side
Always set queue type to simple for reducing spike

 

I find spelling issue on BillboardController component

 

Oops, I did not notice this mistake for about a month =)

 

Can you try this WebGL Demo please. Cuz in general I have a very bad performance with WebGL.

 

In my system is OK. 43 fps 48*48
4790K + GTX 960 + 32GB Memory + Opera

 

On my laptop (i5-6200) with Radeon R7

(64x64)
25fps when moving, 70fps when standing still.

<5 when system is disabled

 

The main problem is always from cpu side (or memory) when updating billboards. You may needs to find a better solution for updating billboard.
For example when we have set update rate to 3, performance is great but billboards does not faced to the camera. You can face billboard always to the camera even are not in update state

 

You tried WebGL version? If so I have bad performance too. If you check WebPlayer demo with Internet Explorer or Firefox you will see much better FPS.

 

My settings was 64*64 and not 48*48
90fps without moving
40 fps when moving

Firefox:
130
73

 

Looks really good; can't wait to try it out; any idea about expected release date and price?

Edit: found it on assetStore: a tad bit too pricey for me.

 

Not work for me :/. ( I use Unity Tree & Unity Tree material ).