3D & Spatial · 04 of 04
Set a performance budget for 3D
Agree on delivery limits and test the experience on representative devices.
The idea
A 3D asset has to download, decode and render before someone can use it.
Geometry, textures, materials and lighting all contribute to that cost. Agree on the expected devices, network conditions and useful loading time before investing in detail.
Measure a representative scene early. Spend detail where it affects the silhouette or the intended close-up, and simplify what cannot be seen. File size alone does not predict runtime performance. Review memory use and responsiveness as well, and provide a useful fallback while the model loads or when it cannot run.
How to see it
Terms used in this lesson
The parts
- Geometry
- The model's shapes and surfaces.
- Texture
- Image data used to describe a surface.
- Transfer size
- The amount of data downloaded for the asset.
In practice
- Set delivery goals for representative devices
- Measure a working scene early
- Provide a useful loading fallback
Avoid
- Optimising only the download size
- Detail that costs performance without aiding the view
- Waiting until delivery to test a phone
The test
Open the delivered scene on a representative phone and connection. Record download size, time until usable and interaction quality, then compare them with the agreed budget.
Reviewed against all forty, on your product.
The audit is the cheapest thing we sell, and it regularly concludes that you do not need the project you came for.