Untold Engine v0.9.0 Updates

[untoldengine]

Untold Engine v0.9.0 Updates

Untold Engine Studio v0.9.0 has just been released, and you can download it here:
👉 https://github.com/untoldengine/UntoldEditor/releases

This release introduces two major performance features:

• LOD System — reduces per-object rendering cost based on camera distance
• Static Batching System — reduces draw calls by merging static geometry

Below is a practical guide showing how to use both systems from the editor and from code.

Using the LOD System with the Editor

Adding LOD Support to an Entity

1. Select your entity in the Scene Hierarchy
2. Open the Inspector and click "Add Components"
3. Select "LOD Component" from the list
4. An LOD Levels panel will appear in the Inspector

Adding LOD Levels

1. Select a model from the Asset Browser (Models folder)
2. In the LOD Levels panel, click "Add LOD Level"
3. The selected model will be added as the next LOD level with a default distance:
   • LOD0: 50 units
   • LOD1: 100 units
   • LOD2: 150 units, etc.

Adjusting LOD Distances

1. Click the distance value next to any LOD level
2. Enter a new distance and press Enter
3. Objects will switch to this LOD when the camera is within this distance

Removing LOD Levels

Click the trash icon next to any LOD level to remove it.

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Using LOD System in Code

Quick Start

Basic LOD Setup

// Create entity
let tree = createEntity()

// Add LOD component
setEntityLodComponent(entityId: tree)

// Add LOD levels (from highest to lowest detail)
addLODLevel(entityId: tree, lodIndex: 0, fileName: "tree_LOD0", withExtension: "usdz", maxDistance: 50.0)
addLODLevel(entityId: tree, lodIndex: 1, fileName: "tree_LOD1", withExtension: "usdz", maxDistance: 100.0)
addLODLevel(entityId: tree, lodIndex: 2, fileName: "tree_LOD2", withExtension: "usdz", maxDistance: 200.0)
addLODLevel(entityId: tree, lodIndex: 3, fileName: "tree_LOD3", withExtension: "usdz", maxDistance: 400.0)

Using the Static Batching System with the Editor

Step 1: Mark Entities as Static

1. Select an entity with a Render Component in the Scene Hierarchy
2. In the Inspector, find the "Static Batching" section
3. Toggle "Mark as Static" (or "Mark Children as Static" for parent entities)

Step 2: Enable the Batching System

1. Open the Static Batching panel in the editor sidebar
2. Toggle "Enable Batching" to ON

Step 3: Generate Batches

1. Click "Generate Batches"
2. A success message will appear
3. The Active Batches count shows how many batch groups were created

Managing Batches

• Clear Batches: Removes all generated batches
• Regenerate: Click "Generate Batches" again after marking new entities

Important Notes

• Moving a static entity automatically removes it from batching and regenerates batches
• Batches are grouped by material — objects with the same material are combined
• You can mark/unmark entities as static at any time, then regenerate

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Using Static Batching System in Code

Quick Start

Basic Static Batching Setup

// Create entities
let cube1 = createEntity()
setEntityMesh(entityId: cube1, filename: "cube", withExtension: "usdz")
translateTo(entityId: cube1, position: simd_float3(0, 0, 0))

let cube2 = createEntity()
setEntityMesh(entityId: cube2, filename: "cube", withExtension: "usdz")
translateTo(entityId: cube2, position: simd_float3(2, 0, 0))

let cube3 = createEntity()
setEntityMesh(entityId: cube3, filename: "cube", withExtension: "usdz")
translateTo(entityId: cube3, position: simd_float3(4, 0, 0))

// Mark entities as static
setEntityStaticBatchComponent(entityId: cube1)
setEntityStaticBatchComponent(entityId: cube2)
setEntityStaticBatchComponent(entityId: cube3)

// Enable batching and generate batches
enableBatching(true)
generateBatches()

Static Batching With Async Mesh Loading (Recommended)

For better performance, use async loading and enable batching in the completion handler:

let stadium = createEntity()
setEntityMeshAsync(entityId: stadium, filename: "stadium", withExtension: "usdz") { success in
    if success {
        print("Scene loaded successfully")
        
        // Mark as static AFTER mesh is loaded
        setEntityStaticBatchComponent(entityId: stadium)
        
        // Enable batching system
        enableBatching(true)
        
        // Generate batches
        generateBatches()
    }
}