Tree level of detail (LOD)

Trees from Tree Editor and trees from SpeedTree handle their level of detail (LOD) differently.

SpeedTree

A SpeedTree PrefabAn asset type that allows you to store a GameObject complete with components and properties. The prefab acts as a template from which you can create new object instances in the scene. More info
See in Glossary has an LODGroup component. Refer to LODThe Level Of Detail (LOD) technique is an optimization that reduces the number of triangles that Unity has to render for a GameObject when its distance from the Camera increases. More info
See in Glossary and LOD GroupA component to manage level of detail (LOD) for GameObjects. More info
See in Glossary for more information about configuring LOD components.

Tree Editor

Tree Editor trees don’t have an LODGroup component. Unity’s LOD system uses a 2D to 3D transition zone to blend 2D billboardsA textured 2D object that rotates so that it always faces the Camera. More info
See in Glossary with 3D tree models. This prevents a sudden popping of 2D and 3D trees, which is important for realism in VRVirtual Reality More info
See in Glossary.

Note: Billboard trees don’t receive local lighting such as Point Lights and Spot Lights. They work with directional lights, but lighting on the billboards updates only when you rotate the cameraA component which creates an image of a particular viewpoint in your scene. The output is either drawn to the screen or captured as a texture. More info
See in Glossary.

Tree Editor controls LOD at two levels:

• The tree root node.
• Individual branch groups, as a multiplier of the tree root nodeA transform in an animation hierarchy that allows Unity to establish consistency between Animation clips for a generic model. It also enables Unity to properly blend between Animations that have not been authored “in place” (that is, where the whole Model moves its world position while animating). More info
  See in Glossary’s LOD.

The leaves and bark shadersA program that runs on the GPU. More info
See in Glossary also have LOD defaults. These are built-in shaders, and you can’t edit them.

Each TerrainThe landscape in your scene. A Terrain GameObject adds a large flat plane to your scene and you can use the Terrain’s Inspector window to create a detailed landscape. More info
See in Glossary tile has settings for tree drawing, such as the distance from the camera where trees switch to billboard mode. These settings can impact the gaming experience when they create transitions that are visible to the player. Refer to the Terrain Settings reference for more information.

Additional resources

• Create trees with Tree Editor
• Terrain Settings reference
• Import trees from SpeedTree