Modular Character Draw Call?

Greg DAlessandro · Mar 2015

I plan on using a modular character workflow, but wouldn't separating a character into several pieces be intensive since it has to make multiple draw calls per character?

head, eyes, torso, arms, legs, feet

character models will be around 10-15k tris, and there will be no more than 12 models on screen in-game at most.

thatanimator · Mar 2015

unity?

if all the pieces share one material they should just use one draw call

Greg DAlessandro · Mar 2015

yes for Unity

monster · Mar 2015

thatanimator wrote: »

unity?

if all the pieces share one material they should just use one draw call

No, each separate Skinned Mesh Renderer is a new draw call even if they share a material. A programmer can create a single dynamic mesh in memory from the parts being used.

But unless you're going to have lots of modular characters on the screen at once it shouldn't be a big deal.

CheeseOnToast · Mar 2015

^What monster said. It should be combined into a single mesh, engine-side. That's what we do anyway.

JacqueChoi · Mar 2015

I could be wrong but I believe draw calls were more of a DX9 problem.

And yeah, with DX11, the previously mentioned solutions happened.

Dylan Brady · Mar 2015

yeah iirc in UE3 there is a modular pawn that you can use to dynamically create a single mesh that makes it only one drawcall.
in UE4 there is other ways since you have blueprints.

Modular Character Draw Call?

Replies