Large number of animated characters

[namal.bambarasinghe]

We need to place 2000 individually animated characters next to each other as shown in the video (there are only 1000 in there). We are experiencing a significant performance hit when we do that (10 FPS per 1000 characters).

In the video we use approx 8 * 120 models, reference nodes. What is the best best performing method to achieve this? Possibley something to with instancing or so??

Note: We need each character to be animated in a different frame and possibly controlle

d by a script.

[silent]

Hi Namal,

As you probably already noticed in profile you have two critical points:

• RenderCPU: ~30ms
• Update: ~30ms
• Draw calls: 4,5k 

So, you have to optimize the CPU part of the scene (reduce the draw calls as much as possible).

Batching for skinned meshes is a hard task and it can only work if you have an 100% identical animations playing. So maybe it would help if some of the meshes will play the same animations.

The basic approach that may work somehow:

1. Split nodes to the groups by distance from camera.
2. Reduce animations update interval based on a distance to camera
3. Replace if possible the most distant object to billboards
4. Play the same animation between 2 or more characters to enable batching
5. Reduce materials count by reusing the same material on different nodes
6. ???

Maybe you will find out a better solution to this, because even with batching 2400 skinned objects (5 unique materials) can be tough (you can see it in samples/stress/skinned_01 sample).

Thanks!