Optimizing models

This guide outlines best practices to help you prepare your models for optimal performance on the Glossi platform.

While Glossi is built to handle professional-grade assets, optimizing your 3D models ensures the best possible performance and visual quality. Properly optimized models render faster, maintain visual integrity, and provide a smoother studio experience. This guide covers essential optimization techniques to make your Glossi workflow more efficient.

For more detailed export instructions for specific software, refer to our export guides for Blender, 3DS Max, KeyShot, Rhino or more, go to...

1. Simplify Meshes

Excessive polygons increase file size and slow down rendering. Models with millions of polygons can cause performance issues in Glossi Studio, especially for files larger than 100MB.

How to Optimize:

• Reduce Polygon Count: Use 3D modeling tools like Blender, Fusion 360, or Rhino to decimate unnecessary polygons without compromising the model's shape. Aim for a balance between detail and efficiency.

• Merge Duplicated Materials: Consolidate repetitive materials to minimize complexity and reduce the number of material slots.

• Optimize Topology: Ensure clean, efficient geometry with evenly distributed vertices. Avoid non-manifold edges and unnecessary subdivisions.

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2. Reduce Polygon Counts

While Glossi does not impose a strict polygon limit, models with excessively high polygon counts (e.g., millions of polygons) can degrade performance and increase rendering times. High polygon counts increase the computational load, leading to longer rendering times and potential performance issues within Glossi Studio. This is often only an issue for very large models - larger than 100 MB.

How to Optimize:

• Use Level of Detail (LOD): Implement multiple levels of detail for your model. This allows Glossi to dynamically adjust the polygon count based on the viewing distance, ensuring optimal performance without sacrificing visual quality.

• Remove Hidden Faces: Eliminate polygons that are not visible to the camera, reducing the overall vertex count and simplifying the mesh.

• Avoid Over-Tessellation: Especially in areas that are not focal points of the model, keep the tessellation levels as low as possible while maintaining the necessary detail.

Other Solves:

• Compress Models: Use compression tools or formats like glTF/GLB to reduce file size without sacrificing quality.

• Simplify Geometry: Follow mesh simplification practices to lower polygon counts and optimize vertex distribution.

• Optimize Textures: Reduce texture resolutions and apply compression techniques to decrease overall file size.

Hint: Dense geometry is a common issue from models coming from Keyshot. Before exporting from KeyShot, simplify your model by reducing tessellation and merging duplicate materials.

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3. Consolidate Materials

Too many materials increase processing time and file size:

How to consolidate materials:

1. Identify similar materials that could be combined

2. Merge materials that have only slight variations

3. Use one material with different textures instead of multiple similar materials

4. Remove unused materials from your file

Material consolidation reduces file size and improves performance in Glossi without sacrificing visual quality. Focus on combining materials that serve similar functions or appear on non-focal parts of your model.

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4. Texture Optimizaiton

Properly assigned and optimized textures enhance realism and ensure that models appear as intended in renders. Efficient texture management also helps in reducing file sizes and improving performance. Optimize texture resolution based on how close the camera will get to surfaces and how important those surfaces are to your product's appearance.

Best Practices:

• Use PBR Textures: Utilize Physically Based Rendering (PBR) textures for realistic material properties, including albedo, metallic, roughness, and normal maps.

• Optimize Texture Sizes: Balance texture resolution with performance needs. High-resolution textures (e.g., 4096x4096) should be reserved for areas requiring maximum detail, while lower resolutions can suffice for other parts.

• Compress and Format Textures Appropriately: Use formats like PNG for lossless quality or JPEG for smaller file sizes. Consider using advanced compression techniques supported by your 3D software.

• Consistent UV Mapping: Ensure that UV maps are clean and efficient, avoiding overlaps and maximizing the use of texture space

• Use Glossi’s Material Library: Customize or replace imported materials using Glossi’s built-in library for consistent and high-quality results.

By applying these optimization techniques, you'll create models that perform optimally in Glossi while maintaining high visual quality. The result will be faster studio performance, quicker rendering, and consistent visual quality across your product catalog.

For help with complex models or advanced optimization techniques, contact Glossi support.