Implement visibility ranges, also known as hierarchical levels of detail
(HLODs).
This commit introduces a new component, `VisibilityRange`, which allows
developers to specify camera distances in which meshes are to be shown
and hidden. Hiding meshes happens early in the rendering pipeline, so
this feature can be used for level of detail optimization. Additionally,
this feature is properly evaluated per-view, so different views can show
different levels of detail.
This feature differs from proper mesh LODs, which can be implemented
later. Engines generally implement true mesh LODs later in the pipeline;
they're typically more efficient than HLODs with GPU-driven rendering.
However, mesh LODs are more limited than HLODs, because they require the
lower levels of detail to be meshes with the same vertex layout and
shader (and perhaps the same material) as the original mesh. Games often
want to use objects other than meshes to replace distant models, such as
*octahedral imposters* or *billboard imposters*.
The reason why the feature is called *hierarchical level of detail* is
that HLODs can replace multiple meshes with a single mesh when the
camera is far away. This can be useful for reducing drawcall count. Note
that `VisibilityRange` doesn't automatically propagate down to children;
it must be placed on every mesh.
Crossfading between different levels of detail is supported, using the
standard 4x4 ordered dithering pattern from [1]. The shader code to
compute the dithering patterns should be well-optimized. The dithering
code is only active when visibility ranges are in use for the mesh in
question, so that we don't lose early Z.
Cascaded shadow maps show the HLOD level of the view they're associated
with. Point light and spot light shadow maps, which have no CSMs,
display all HLOD levels that are visible in any view. To support this
efficiently and avoid doing visibility checks multiple times, we
precalculate all visible HLOD levels for each entity with a
`VisibilityRange` during the `check_visibility_range` system.
A new example, `visibility_range`, has been added to the tree, as well
as a new low-poly version of the flight helmet model to go with it. It
demonstrates use of the visibility range feature to provide levels of
detail.
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordered_dithering#Threshold_map
[^1]: Unreal doesn't have a feature that exactly corresponds to
visibility ranges, but Unreal's HLOD system serves roughly the same
purpose.
## Changelog
### Added
* A new `VisibilityRange` component is available to conditionally enable
entity visibility at camera distances, with optional crossfade support.
This can be used to implement different levels of detail (LODs).
## Screenshots
High-poly model:
Low-poly model up close:
Crossfading between the two:
---------
Co-authored-by: Carter Anderson <mcanders1@gmail.com>
# Objective
Lightmaps, textures that store baked global illumination, have been a
mainstay of real-time graphics for decades. Bevy currently has no
support for them, so this pull request implements them.
## Solution
The new `Lightmap` component can be attached to any entity that contains
a `Handle<Mesh>` and a `StandardMaterial`. When present, it will be
applied in the PBR shader. Because multiple lightmaps are frequently
packed into atlases, each lightmap may have its own UV boundaries within
its texture. An `exposure` field is also provided, to control the
brightness of the lightmap.
Note that this PR doesn't provide any way to bake the lightmaps. That
can be done with [The Lightmapper] or another solution, such as Unity's
Bakery.
---
## Changelog
### Added
* A new component, `Lightmap`, is available, for baked global
illumination. If your mesh has a second UV channel (UV1), and you attach
this component to the entity with that mesh, Bevy will apply the texture
referenced in the lightmap.
[The Lightmapper]: https://github.com/Naxela/The_Lightmapper
---------
Co-authored-by: Carter Anderson <mcanders1@gmail.com>
# Objective
cleanup some pbr shader code. improve shader stage io consistency and
make pbr.wgsl (probably many people's first foray into bevy shader code)
a little more human-readable. also fix a couple of small issues with
deferred rendering.
## Solution
mesh_vertex_output:
- rename to forward_io (to align with prepass_io)
- rename `MeshVertexOutput` to `VertexOutput` (to align with prepass_io)
- move `Vertex` from mesh.wgsl into here (to align with prepass_io)
prepass_io:
- remove `FragmentInput`, use `VertexOutput` directly (to align with
forward_io)
- rename `VertexOutput::clip_position` to `position` (to align with
forward_io)
pbr.wgsl:
- restructure so we don't need `#ifdefs` on the actual entrypoint, use
VertexOutput and FragmentOutput in all cases and use #ifdefs to import
the right struct definitions.
- rearrange to make the flow clearer
- move alpha_discard up from `pbr_functions::pbr` to avoid needing to
call it on some branches and not others
- add a bunch of comments
deferred_lighting:
- move ssao into the `!unlit` block to reflect forward behaviour
correctly
- fix compile error with deferred + premultiply_alpha
## Migration Guide
in custom material shaders:
- `pbr_functions::pbr` no longer calls to
`pbr_functions::alpha_discard`. if you were using the `pbr` function in
a custom shader with alpha mask mode you now also need to call
alpha_discard manually
- rename imports of `bevy_pbr::mesh_vertex_output` to
`bevy_pbr::forward_io`
- rename instances of `MeshVertexOutput` to `VertexOutput`
in custom material prepass shaders:
- rename instances of `VertexOutput::clip_position` to
`VertexOutput::position`
