*video* Is this model setup efficient for Unity?

hey folks,can one of you modeling wizards please tell me if the following model setup is reasonably optimal for Unity?

There will be a LOT of buildings in my scene, so optimal would be really beneficial. Would the following setup be efficient and render well in Unity?

- separate elements of model, merged by material, (usually roof, walls) the whole assembly held together by a dummy
- open edges
- co-linear edges
- intersecting faces
- not at all watertight

Here is a video of one building:

 

Nice.
Kinda reminds me of how that Andrew Price guy made his City Buildings in Blender.
First off, what type of game are you making?

 

Hi Brandy, I'm using CityEngine (FBX imported to 3ds max).

The buildings are for what you might call a flying game, so there will be a LOT of 'em onscreen.

With so many buildings, efficiency is key... as youll understand... so I'm wondering if this setup/structure is efficient?

Thanks! David

 

Thanks for your reply.
Sorry I didn't respond sooner.
Was working heavily on Game art for the past 2 months.
I was super tired after all of that drawing too. Lol!

So: Like Star Fox!!
1) You have your space craft, airplane craft, jet, or superhero etc.
2) A City full of tall buildings.
3) The game does not have a character coming out of his craft etc, and going into buildings etc.
Like GTA 3 to 5 or Star Fox Assault on Gamecube.
Good! This makes the game easier to create.
Especially for PC/Mac or consoles etc.

Since it's a flying game. And your craft etc. is flying over a city full of tallish buildings.
And possibly flying through them as well.
And there is no ability/option in the game, for a character to go into buildings etc.
This is what I recommend.

Performance wise:
You don't need to have lots of separate objects or parts to make up one building.
Since its a game with a giant city, that has many similar clones of the building or many buildings, that you don't interact with. eg. no character etc. is going into the building etc.

1) I suggest making an entire building, at least one object.
With the roof, base and building itself modelled all together as one object.
Then UV/texture map it etc.
Then clone the main building, multiple times.

It'll also, be easier to manage and control, if you're gonna clone the building hundreds of times and place them all over the place to make your mega city.
And it will help performance too.
Or to add further, and easier to explain, like in your vid, since the building is made up of simple rectangular type shapes, model the building base ground floor, roof and glassy skyscraper building walls, as one whole object.


Or, if you want,.................
2) Since your buildings roof at 1:04 secs, has separate building objects for the top floor and a generator thingy?
You can make that one separate object too.
So your building could be made of 2 objects
eg.
The main building = one object
The top floor thingys at 1:04 secs = one object.

So all you have is 2 objects that make up your building = The main building and the roof.
And not 4 or 5 parts that make up one building.
Making it, less taxing performance wise and easier to manage too.

And just clone the top floors roof items, and put them all over the tops of the other clone buildings. Lol!

There are so many ways to solve this problem, I can't think of ways to explain all of them.

But I suggest option one for almost all platforms eg. consoles etc.
Hope that helps.

PS: By the way, what platform are you targetting?

 

hey Brandy

Thank you so much for taking the time to make such a detailed and useful reply. I really, really appreciate it!

Actually, you are right, what I'm doing isn't too far from StarFox... I'm aiming at the PC initially, and hopefully one day PS4 and XB1.

Wishing you a ton of success!
David

 

Thank you David!
Glad I could help you too!
Many Blessings to you and your Game Project!