rdLODtools FAQ
Last Updated: 20th January 2023
Q. Are you still planning on releasing a version with Octahedral Impostor support?
A. Yes – Most of my other commitments are complete now (these FAQs are one of the last tasks). I will be blowing the dust off it and will make a post on the forum (and here) with more news once I do.
Q. Do the LODs that rdLODtools make have the same problem of clamped edge run-away when looking straight up or down the Impostor?
A. No, none of the LODs that rdLODtools make have that problem. When I add the Impostor support I’m hoping to have a fix for that there too.
Q. Can I add support for merging sections on skeletal meshes?
A. Not in rdLODtools, but I am considering another tool that could do that.
Q. Does rdLODtools work on Linux?
A. Yes, rdLODtools compiles and runs on Linux. Most testing has been done in Linux Mint.
Q. Does rdLODtools work with Android and IOS?
A. The plugin itself doesn’t, but it’s Editor only. The LODs created with rdLODtools do work with Android and IOS.
Q. Sometimes when using rdLODtools my Engine crashes.
A. This bug has been addressed and fixed in the latest version, please update.
Q. Does rdLODtools work for complex meshes such as towers, containers and cars?
A. Cubic LODs are good for objects such as those, there is a little extra setup work but you get great results and fast rendering times with very little overdraw, if any.
Q. Can rdLODtools do Batch Processing?
A. Yes absolutely, you can select as many StaticMeshes you wish at any time and process them all. You are also able to set them to a child material instance as a group this way.
Q. My NormalMaps look different after updating to version 1.3.
A. That’s normal, they are now packed in a different way to save VRAM (12.5% -> 25% of what it was).
Q. Can I migrate my LODs and Meshes to another project without rdLODtools installed?
A. Yes, once the LODs are made, you no longer need rdLODtools.
Q. I did a clean install of UE and now all my materials have errors.
A. See THIS tutorial on how to fix this.
Q. Does rdLODtools work with VR? The Oculus Quest?
A. I have no way of testing, but I cannot think of any reason why not. Please let me know how you get on with it.
Q. When my trees are on an angle (aligned to normal) they no longer rotate to face the camera.
A. That is normal behavior, they turn into Planar LODs when on an angle as the rotation would be incorrect.
Q. Do StaticMeshes with LODs created in rdLODtools Replicate?
A. Yes, they behave in exactly the same way, looking at the current camera.
Q. Does rdLODtools run on Mac?
A. I’ve never been able to try, but it runs on linux, so in theory it should compile and run on Mac. LODs created with rdLODtools will be fine running on Mac.