Level of Detail
Level of Detail (LOD) is a computer graphics and game development technique used to manage the complexity of 3D models based on their distance from the camera or viewer. It involves creating multiple versions of a model with varying polygon counts and detail levels, and dynamically switching between them to optimize rendering performance. This reduces computational load while maintaining visual quality where it matters most.
Developers should learn LOD for real-time applications like video games, simulations, and VR/AR where rendering performance is critical. It's essential when dealing with large, complex scenes to maintain high frame rates without sacrificing visual fidelity for distant objects. Use cases include open-world games, architectural visualizations, and any 3D application where scalability across hardware is needed.