Simple Mesh – Mesh Simplifier and LOD Generator

V2.0 Update --- Fixed Auto Generate LODs function bugs. For details please see releases note.

Simple Mesh is a powerful and user-friendly tool designed for Unity developers to optimize and simplify their 3D models with ease. Whether you are an indie developer or part of a large studio, Simple Mesh offers a comprehensive solution for mesh simplification and LOD (Level of Detail) generation.

• Mesh Simplification: Customizable levels of detail to suit various performance needs.
• Manual & Auto LOD Generation: Flexibility to manually adjust LODs or automate the process for quick and consistent results.
• Safe Simplification: Ensures that the mesh retains its visual fidelity even after significant simplification. Your original model will not be damaged in any way. The 2.0 version includes the Safe LOD feature for Auto Generate LODs, allowing you to define a safe LOD percentage. The Auto generation process will not simplify the model beyond the specified Safe LOD level, ensuring preservation of detail and quality.
• Billboard Generation: Basic billboard generation to optimize distant objects, customizable for different distances and quality settings.
• Prefab Creation: Generate and save prefabs for optimized meshes, facilitating easy reuse and integration into different scenes.
• User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive design for easy navigation and use.

Suitable for Various Genres:

• Game Development: Ideal for optimizing game assets, ensuring smooth performance.
• Animation: Supports both mesh renderers and skinned mesh renderers, making it suitable for animated characters and objects.

Important

• Ensure the objects you want to create LODs for have either a Mesh Renderer or a Skinned Mesh Renderer.
• When using Simple Mesh's saving function, you can define a new save folder to save your objects. For example: Assets/Simple Mesh 2.0/TheNameOfTheFolderYouWantToSave.
• Some errors can be resolved by closing Simple Mesh's window and reopening it from the Tools menu. (For example, if your billboard was not generated correctly.)
• Make sure to exit preview mode before removing objects from Simple Mesh. If you don't, the mesh will remain in its simplified state.

Known Limitations

1. The level of simplification significantly depends on the initial quality of the model. High-quality models will yield superior simplified versions due to their detailed structure. In contrast, low-quality models, which are already simple, may not show significant improvements with further simplification and are more likely to become deformed.

2. The process of simplifying a skinned mesh renderer is more complex than that of a mesh renderer, especially for intricate skinned meshes. If your skinned mesh is highly detailed, you may experience lag and longer processing times when previewing and generating LODs. Here are some tips to manage this more effectively:

- Instead of dragging the slider, click on the slider to jump to a specific simplification percentage, or directly input the desired percentage. This can help reduce processing delays.

- Avoid batching multiple complex skinned meshes for processing. Handling each skinned mesh individually will be more efficient and prevent excessive lag.

- Be prepared for longer processing times when dealing with highly detailed skinned meshes. This is normal due to the complexity involved.