A level of detail (LOD) is a geometric model with selected complexity. A detailed sculpture can produce several triangle meshes, each more intricate than the previous one, so rendering and processing can use an appropriate representation. section 12.5
LODs address a practical representation trade-off:
- Voxel-based sculpting can support fast operations and precise surface data, but it requires substantial memory and renders relatively slowly. section 12.5
- Triangle meshes derived from the sculpture provide multiple complexity levels that can be selected for rendering or computation. section 12.5
A sculpted model
A sculpting workflow may retain a detailed hybrid voxel representation, then generate several triangle meshes from it. A simpler mesh can support a less demanding use, while a more intricate mesh preserves additional geometry. section 12.5
