Bone Reduction

Simplygon is the leading solution in automated 3D content optimization for video games, setting the industry standard. Among its essential tools for character optimization is the Bone Reducer, which is designed specifically for rig optimization.

The Bone Reducer adeptly reduces the number of skinning influences, effectively maintaining the skeleton structure while eliminating references to certain bones. This optimization of skinning significantly lowers the rendering load on both the CPU and GPU.

With the ability to automatically identify bones for skinning influence removal, the Bone Reducer's targets are akin to those of the Triangle Reducer. It offers various targeting options, including a specific bone count, a ratio from the original bone count, maximum deviation, or screen size.

Additionally, the Bone Reducer can be configured to remove bones from the rig entirely, which is particularly useful in creating a new LOD0 for less powerful platforms. The Remove unused bones feature, along with the ability to limit bone count per vertex, is invaluable when optimizing for weaker platforms.

You also have control over the Bone Reducer process, with options to specify bones for removal.

The Bone Reducer is especially beneficial for games with numerous characters featuring complex rigs, particularly when multiple characters are displayed on screen simultaneously. It also plays a crucial role in porting to platforms where complex rigs might cause performance issues.

Accessible through various pipelines, the Bone Reducer can also be operated standalone via Scripting. It is commonly used alongside the Triangle Reducer for creating Level of Detail (LOD) chains, optimizing skinning influences as the model is refined. Additionally, it can be paired with the Remesher for situations where the last LOD level is created through remeshing, requiring a simplified rig for distant movement representation.

Simplygon's Bone Reducer is a key asset in major AAA game productions, allowing artists to focus on creative aspects while relying on automated solutions for skinned mesh optimization.

Interested in discovering how to optimize skinned meshes and boost your game's performance? Contact us for an evaluation.