LOD (Level of Detail) is a technical term that is extremely important in rendering and optimizing game graphics (technical art). A technology that automatically changes the complexity (number of polygons) of a 3D mesh in stages according to the distance between the camera and the object, optimizing the geometry load on the GPU.
Real-world analogy: making a distant house out of ``real wood'' or using a ``toy miniature'' in the background.
LOD is a magic trick that automatically switches between a real, detailed mansion (LOD0) and a toy miniature for the distant background (LOD2), depending on the distance from the camera. The house in front of you must be a real building with detailed details down to the pillars and window frames. However, even if a pea-shaped house located 3 km away is a miniature box with a photo pasted onto it, humans will never be able to tell the difference because the size on the screen is only about 3 pixels. This replacement reduces the number of vertices processed by the GPU by up to 90% or more.
Figure: Infographic that clearly illustrates the basic processing flow and mechanism of LOD (Level of Detail) in Japanese notation
Detailed mechanism and operating principle
LOD Using the Group component, prepare LOD0 (high definition) for short distances, LOD1 (medium precision) for medium distances, and LOD2 (simple mesh reduced to the limit) for long distances, and automatically switch according to the distance.