GPU Topics

Performance

GPU Performance

Your branch geometry probably never needs transmission enabled. If there's a detail layer, is it easy to spot after the first LOD? Is per-pixel lighting really necessary for the leaves? Does your branch/trunk geometry really need a specular effect? An often-used combination is per-pixel/non-specular for branch geometry, and per-vertex lighting for leaves. SpeedTree's different lighting models blend really well and transition seamlessly in most cases. Take advantage where you can.

For wind LOD, go to global or no wind as soon as possible. We have found that for trees with full wind, going from full in the highest LOD to global in the next works very well in terms of performance and perception. For smaller models like shrubs and bushes, going to no wind as soon as possible is also recommended since when rendered very small, wind effects are difficult to perceive.

Cap textures (especially those in our library) are often very large relative to the size of the geometry they're applied to. More often than not, these can and should be scaled down considerably.