Levels of detail for FiveM weapons
A .ydr drawable can contain High, Medium, Low and Very Low models, chosen by distance. Weapons may also have a separate _hi.ydr high-detail model for close-up and first-person use. Keep the main high LOD within a sensible budget, build medium and low LODs by decimating (roughly halving each step), and check the switch in CodeWalker or in game.
A weapon carried by a player fifty metres away covers a few pixels, yet an unoptimised add-on still renders every one of its polygons. Levels of detail (LODs) let the game swap to simpler versions with distance. For weapon packs used by a whole server, they are the difference between smooth and stuttery firefights.
#The levels
| LOD | Used | Suggested share of the high model |
|---|---|---|
| High | Close | 100% |
| Medium | Mid distance | ~50% |
| Low | Far | ~25% |
| Very Low | Very far (optional) | ~10% or a simple shape |
The drawable stores a distance for each level. Sollumz exposes these LOD levels and distances when you set up the drawable.
#The _hi model
Many weapons ship two models: w_xx_name.ydr for the world and third person, and w_xx_name_hi.ydr (with +hi.ytd textures) for close-up views such as first person. The _hi model can afford more detail because only the holder sees it that close; the normal model should stay lean.
#Making LODs
- Duplicate the high mesh.
- Apply a Decimate modifier (or retopologise) to about half the triangles; keep the silhouette.
- Remove small parts that vanish at distance (screws, small text, internal pieces).
- Assign as the Medium LOD in Sollumz; repeat for Low.
- Reuse the same materials and textures to avoid extra memory.
#Checking LODs
Open the .ydr in CodeWalker and switch the displayed LOD, or walk away from a dropped weapon in game and watch it change. A pop that is too visible means the distance is too short or the lower LOD is too crude. Triangle budgets are in polycount optimisation.
Questions
Do FiveM weapons need LODs?
What is the _hi weapon model?
+hi.ytd textures.How much should each LOD reduce?
How do I make LODs in Blender?
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