Project Optimization - Raya Lucaria Impression

Project Focus: Visual Optimization and its Impact on Game Art Creation

This research project dives deep into the world of visual optimization techniques in game development. My goal was to understand how these techniques influence the artistic process and workflow. By gaining insights into their capabilities and limitations, we can better prepare and adapt our art creation approach from the outset.

Test Environment and Methodology:

• Scene Complexity: I built a demanding test environment with a total count of approximately 3 million polygons.
• Isolation of Techniques: Each optimization technique was applied and tested independently to precisely measure its impact on render times and framerate.
• Modular vs. Combined Models: I created two versions of the environment:
  • One with modular, instanced models.
  • Another with combined meshes (fewer models in the scene).
  • This enabled direct comparison of GPU instancing versus mesh combining performance.

Custom 3ds Max Tool:

• To streamline model selection and grouping based on polygon count, I developed a MaxScript tool.
• This facilitated quick grouping of objects by material and color for efficient mesh combining.

Overall, this project highlights the critical interplay between visual optimization techniques and game art creation. The insights gained will empower artists to make informed decisions and optimize their workflows for maximum performance and visual quality.