Auto LOD Generator

Automatic Level of Detail (LOD) generator and mesh simplifier for Unity.

Transform complex 3D meshes into optimized LOD groups with just a few clicks. Perfect for game developers who want to improve performance without manually creating multiple mesh versions.

Features

Core Features

• One-Click LOD Generation - Automatically create LOD groups with configurable quality levels
• Batch Processing - Process multiple objects at once for efficient workflow
• 6 Built-in Presets - Pre-configured settings for different platforms and use cases
• Customizable LOD Levels - Configure 2-6 LOD levels with individual quality settings
• Real-time Preview - See estimated vertex/triangle counts before generation

Mesh Support

• Static Meshes - Full support for MeshFilter + MeshRenderer objects
• Skinned Meshes - Full support for SkinnedMeshRenderer (animated characters)
• Save to Assets - Export generated meshes as reusable .asset files

Workflow

• Drag & Drop Support - Simply drag objects from hierarchy or project window
• Context Menu Integration - Right-click on objects for quick access
• Keyboard Shortcuts - Speed up your workflow with hotkeys (Ctrl+Alt+L)
• Undo Support - Full integration with Unity's undo system
• Custom Presets - Save and load your own preset configurations

Installation

Step 1: Install UnityMeshSimplifier (Required Dependency)

This plugin requires UnityMeshSimplifier.

1. Open Window > Package Manager
2. Click + > Add package from git URL
3. Enter: https://github.com/Whinarn/UnityMeshSimplifier.git
4. Click Add

Step 2: Install Auto LOD Generator

Option A: Import Unity Package

1. Download Auto-LOD-Generator.unitypackage from this repository
2. In Unity, go to Assets > Import Package > Custom Package
3. Select the downloaded file and import

Option B: Clone Repository

1. Clone this repository into your project's Assets/Plugins folder

Quick Start

Using the Main Window

1. Open Tools > Auto LOD Generator > Open Window
2. Select a GameObject with a mesh in your scene
3. Choose a preset or customize settings
4. Click Generate LOD Group

Using Context Menu (Fastest)

1. Right-click on any mesh object in the Hierarchy
2. Select Auto LOD > Generate LOD Group

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl+Alt+L (Windows) / Cmd+Alt+L (Mac) - Quick Generate LOD Group

Presets

Preset	LOD Levels	Best For
Performance	3	Maximum FPS, aggressive simplification
Balanced	4	General use, good quality/performance balance
Quality	5	Visual fidelity, gradual transitions
Mobile (Low-end)	2	Budget mobile devices
Mobile (High-end)	3	Modern mobile devices
VR	4	VR applications, avoids LOD popping

Custom Presets

You can save your own custom presets:

1. Open the main window
2. Go to the Presets tab
3. Configure your settings
4. Enter a name and click Save

Custom presets are stored in Assets/Plugins/Auto-LOD-Generator/Editor/Presets/.

Menu Reference

Tools Menu

• Tools > Auto LOD Generator > Open Window - Main interface
• Tools > Auto LOD Generator > Quick Generate LOD Group - Generate with Balanced preset
• Tools > Auto LOD Generator > Quick Simplify (50%) - Create 50% simplified mesh
• Tools > Auto LOD Generator > Generate with Preset > ... - Generate with specific preset

Context Menu (Right-click in Hierarchy)

• Auto LOD > Generate LOD Group - Generate LOD group
• Auto LOD > Simplify Mesh (50%) - Create 50% simplified version
• Auto LOD > Simplify Mesh (25%) - Create 25% simplified version
• Auto LOD > Open Generator Window... - Open main window

Advanced Features

Save Meshes to Assets

Enable Save Meshes to Assets in the Save Options section to:

• Export generated LOD meshes as .asset files
• Reuse meshes across multiple prefabs
• Reduce scene file size
• Default save location: Assets/GeneratedLODs/

Skinned Mesh Support

The plugin automatically detects and handles:

• Static meshes (MeshFilter + MeshRenderer)
• Skinned meshes (SkinnedMeshRenderer)

For skinned meshes, the plugin preserves:

• Bone references
• Root bone assignment
• Blend shapes (if applicable)
• Animation quality settings

Custom LOD Settings

In the main window, expand Advanced Settings to customize:

• Quality Factors - Mesh quality for each LOD level (0.0 - 1.0)
• Screen Transition Heights - When each LOD level activates based on screen coverage
• Culled Level - Optional level that completely hides the object at distance

Batch Processing

1. Open the main window and go to the Batch Process tab
2. Drag multiple objects or click Add from Selection
3. Configure settings
4. Enable Save Meshes to Assets if needed
5. Click Process X Objects

API Usage

For programmatic access, use the LODGeneratorCore class:

using Plugins.AutoLODGenerator.Editor;

// Generate LOD group with default settings
var settings = new LODGeneratorSettings();
settings.ApplyPreset(LODPreset.Balanced);

var result = LODGeneratorCore.GenerateLODGroup(myGameObject, settings);

if (result.Success)
{
    Debug.Log($"Generated LOD group: {result.GeneratedLODGroup.name}");
    Debug.Log($"Original vertices: {result.OriginalVertexCount}");
}

// Generate with mesh saving
var resultWithSave = LODGeneratorCore.GenerateLODGroup(
    myGameObject,
    settings,
    saveMeshesToAssets: true,
    meshSavePath: "Assets/MyLODs");

// Simplify a single mesh
var simplifyResult = LODGeneratorCore.GenerateSimplifiedMesh(
    myGameObject,
    quality: 0.5f,
    saveMeshToAssets: true);

// Batch processing
var batchResult = LODGeneratorCore.ProcessBatch(
    gameObjectArray,
    settings,
    progressCallback: (progress, status) => Debug.Log($"{progress:P0} - {status}"),
    saveMeshesToAssets: true
);

// Save/Load custom presets
settings.SaveAsPreset("MyCustomPreset");
settings.LoadPreset("MyCustomPreset");

// Get available custom presets
string[] presets = LODGeneratorSettings.GetCustomPresetNames();

// Check mesh renderer type
var type = LODGeneratorCore.GetMeshRendererType(gameObject);
if (type == MeshRendererType.SkinnedMeshRenderer)
{
    Debug.Log("This is a skinned mesh!");
}

Requirements

• Unity 2021.3 LTS or newer
• UnityMeshSimplifier package

Troubleshooting

"Object does not have a valid mesh"

• Ensure the selected object has either:
  • MeshFilter + MeshRenderer components, OR
  • SkinnedMeshRenderer component

LOD transitions are too aggressive/subtle

• Adjust Screen Transition Heights in Advanced Settings
• Try a different preset

Simplified mesh looks bad

• Increase the quality factor
• Some mesh topologies don't simplify well - try a higher quality setting

Skinned mesh animations break after LOD generation

• Ensure the original skeleton hierarchy is preserved
• Check that bone references are correctly assigned

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please read our Contributing Guidelines before submitting issues or pull requests.

Development Setup

1. Clone the repository
2. Open the Project Files folder in Unity 2021.3+
3. Install the UnityMeshSimplifier package
4. Make your changes
5. Submit a pull request

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for version history and release notes.

License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

Credits

• Based on UnityMeshSimplifier by Mattias Edlund
• Icon Source

Video Tutorial

https://youtu.be/9YOd-lwKeXU