2026 06 11 EARNIVERSE optimisation open world

Who is Here?

Initial Gathering

• The speaker is trying to confirm attendance, noting that two people, Louis and Teva, are missing from the group.

• Chloé and Teva are mentioned to be in lobby 2 but occupied with something else. The speaker plans to check on them.

Technical Challenges

Issues with Static Meshes

• A participant expresses frustration about taking too long to complete a task involving static meshes, humorously attributing it to technical difficulties.

• They discuss methods for speeding up their workflow, including using multiple windows and controllers for efficiency.

Equipment Setup

• One participant suggests using a TV as a second screen by connecting it via HDMI, which could help with their setup despite not having an additional monitor.

• There’s a humorous exchange about the challenges of working without proper equipment and the need for solutions.

Project Management Insights

Workflow Optimization

• Discussion revolves around modifying parameters efficiently within their project settings to streamline processes across multiple blueprints (BPs).

• Participants share experiences of losing work due to crashes and emphasize the importance of saving progress frequently during duplications.

World Partition System Overview

Introduction to World Partition

• The speaker introduces the concept of World Partition in Unreal Engine 5, explaining its role in managing open-world environments effectively. They ask if anyone has experience with it or similar projects.

Functionality Explanation

• World Partition allows maps to be divided into sectors for better loading management based on proximity to the player’s location, optimizing performance by not rendering unseen areas like those behind mountains.

Practical Application of HLOD

Streaming Textures and Performance Management

• The discussion includes how streaming textures can save RAM by only loading necessary assets based on player distance from objects in an open world setting. This helps maintain system performance while enhancing visual fidelity.

Grid Visualization Techniques

• Participants learn how to visualize grid layouts within their maps using overlays that indicate loading ranges and cell sizes crucial for effective level design management in Unreal Engine 5 projects.

This structured approach captures key discussions from the transcript while providing timestamps for easy reference back to specific moments in the conversation.

Optimization Techniques in Game Development

Understanding Instantiation and Virtualization

• Rendering multiple instances of a mesh with high polygon counts can be resource-intensive. Instantiation allows the system to render only one instance of a mesh while using virtual iterations for others, significantly reducing the load on graphics cards and VRAM.

• However, adding interactive components to the original mesh can disrupt this system, making it unsuitable for interactive environments and less efficient for streaming.

HLOD (Hierarchical Level of Detail) Settings

• The speaker prefers using general HLOD settings for the entire environment while treating AI differently through an intelligent activation/deactivation system based on various parameters.

• Lightmap resolution is crucial; increasing lightmap quality enhances visuals but may decrease performance. Balancing these settings is essential for optimization.

Texture Management Strategies

• Higher quality textures can be achieved by increasing lightmap sizes, but this comes at a performance cost. Optimization involves finding a balance between visual fidelity and resource usage.

• Limiting texture resolutions to 512k for distant meshes reduces VRAM usage without noticeable quality loss at greater distances.

Managing Memory Usage in Large Maps

• To work efficiently on large maps with limited RAM, users can unload selected regions to reduce memory load while maintaining access to necessary elements.

• By managing landscapes through HLOD, significant reductions in RAM usage are possible—demonstrated by dropping from 61GB to 24GB when optimizing landscape management.

Project Settings and Performance Considerations

• Hardware ray tracing is disabled due to its high demand on graphics resources; software ray tracing is preferred as it provides sufficient quality without sacrificing too much performance.

• Texture streaming and virtual textures are activated to dynamically adjust texture resolutions based on distance, which helps manage GPU load effectively.

Advanced Rendering Techniques

• Megalite tool improves performance in areas with multiple light sources by better managing shadow interactions, allowing dynamic shadows without significant performance drops.

• Temporal Super Resolution (TSR) is chosen as an anti-aliasing method due to its balance between performance and visual quality compared to more demanding options like TAA.

Final Thoughts on Optimization Practices

• Continuous testing and adjustments are vital in game development optimization processes. The speaker emphasizes patience and experimentation due to the lack of comprehensive literature available on Unreal Engine optimizations.

Project Update and Workflow Discussion

HLOD Build and Map Conversion

• Ruis, Kilian, and Justin are tasked with building the HLOD (Hierarchical Level of Detail) and converting the entire map to unload mode for better performance.

• The plan is to provide a list of items needed for enemy placements and combat setups, allowing team members to load different zones independently.

Individual Responsibilities

• Justine will also benefit from this setup, enabling her to render specific areas for cinematics without overloading RAM or VAM resources.

Questions Preparation

• Instead of an open Q&A session that could extend indefinitely, team members are encouraged to prepare questions in advance for individual discussions later.

Team Coordination and Support

General Check-ins

• Louis is scheduled to contact Ryan for a general update on their progress after exams.

• Confirmation that exams have concluded allows the team to resume regular activities without interruptions.

Offering Assistance

• Hugo is checked on regarding his progress; he expresses some difficulties but is encouraged not to hesitate in seeking help if needed.

Problem-Solving Approach

• Emphasis on self-reliance while also recognizing when it's necessary to ask for assistance; "the call a friend" approach is suggested as a supportive measure.

Closing Remarks

Final Thoughts

• The meeting concludes with well wishes for the day ahead, encouraging team members to reach out with any urgent questions before the next gathering.