Environment Update: New Moss Clumps and Performance Optimization
Today, I made some significant progress in the visual and technical aspects of the environment design for the game. As you can see from the screenshots below, the landscape is starting to come alive with new moss clumps that add a rich, natural feel to the world. These mossy areas provide more depth and diversity to the ground cover, making the overall scene feel more immersive.
Key Updates:
New Moss Clumps:
The latest addition to the environment is the integration of detailed moss clump models. These are fully optimized with LOD (Level of Detail) handling, ensuring that they maintain high visual quality up close while reducing poly count when further away. This allows for both performance optimization and visual fidelity.
Culling Optimization:
I've applied a CullMeshBelowTerrain script to the moss clumps, which ensures that only the visible parts of the mesh are rendered. This script adjusts vertices to avoid the "melting" effect when objects intersect the terrain, which not only saves on performance but also improves visual consistency.
Footstep Effect Pooling:
Another major improvement is the implementation of a Footstep Effect Pooling system, which manages particle systems and audio sources for footstep sounds. Instead of instantiating and destroying these effects repeatedly, the pooling system reuses them, greatly enhancing performance when the player interacts with different surfaces.
Performance Scaling and Profiling:
I also integrated an Optimized Performance Scaler, which dynamically adjusts the resolution scale, LOD, and particle system intensity based on real-time frame rate data. This ensures smooth gameplay, even under heavy processing loads.
In addition, I have an updated Performance Profiler that tracks memory usage, frame time, and garbage collection, providing valuable data for future optimizations.
Next Steps:
The current focus has been on optimizing both visuals and performance for the game’s environment. Moving forward, I’ll continue to refine these systems and expand the scene with more interactable elements, all while maintaining optimal performance.
Here are some new screenshots showcasing the improved moss clumps and how they blend seamlessly with the rest of the environment:
