LOD Generator - Blender

Version 2.0

🚀 New Features

Added support for up to 8 LOD levels with per-level enable/disable toggles
Introduced real-time LOD Distance Preview Mode with camera-based switching
New Smart Export v2 system with engine-specific export presets
Added Unity Prefab metadata generation
Added Unreal Blueprint metadata generation
Added AR/VR Manifest file generation for WebXR/AR/VR pipelines
Implemented LOD polygon & vertex estimation display for accurate reduction preview
Added preset system with industry profiles:
Mobile Performance, Console/PC Balanced, High-End Cinematic, VR/AR Optimized, RTS, Ultra Mobile, Custom
Added vertex group protection (protect important details during reduction)
New three optimization methods:
✔ Collapse
✔ Un-Subdivide
✔ Planar Reduce

✨ Improvements

Fully redesigned UI panel for faster LOD setup
Improved naming system: Object_LOD0 → Object_LOD7
Better material, UV, and volume preservation
More accurate reduction for complex meshes
Optimized multi-object batch LOD generation
Cleaner export hierarchy management with optional grouping
Improved transform baking pipeline during export
Enhanced compatibility with Blender 4.1+
Smarter auto-detection of cameras for preview mode

⚙️ Export Workflow EnhancementsUnity

Auto LODGroup JSON file generation
Proper axis orientation (Forward: -Z, Up: Y)
Improved FBX export with embedded textures

Unreal Engine

Auto LOD system metadata
Correct axis setup (Forward: X, Up: Z)
Cleaner Blueprint metadata structure

AR/VR

Optimized GLB pipeline for WebXR & mobile
New manifest.json generation
Animation export supported

🐞 Fixes

Fixed issues with broken topology on some Collapse operations
Fixed missing textures during OBJ export (auto-copy enabled)
Fixed LOD preview not exiting on some systems
Resolved incorrect LOD naming bugs in multi-object processing
Improved handling of invalid export paths
More stable behavior with high-poly meshes
Fixed issues with LODs distorting when using Planar reduction

📦 Technical Additions

New manifest.toml for marketplace compatibility
Operators reorganized into:
lod_creation.py, Smart_export.py, ui_panel.py, and properties.py
Added more robust error popup handler for export issues
Added mesh statistics display to UI panel

📚 Documentation

Fully rewritten documentation covering all workflows
Added multiple real-world examples (Mobile Game, VR Environment, RTS Unit, Custom Setup)
Expanded FAQ and troubleshooting sections

🛠️ DAW LOD Generator for Blender v1.0 — Automatic LOD Creation Addon
The ultimate time-saving addon for game artists, asset creators, and Blender professionals focused on real-time performance and optimization.

The DAW LOD Generator for Blender is a powerful, production-tested addon that automates the entire Level of Detail (LOD) workflow directly within Blender’s interface. Whether you're optimizing for Unreal Engine, Unity, WebGL, or any custom game engine, this tool helps you reduce polygon counts while preserving UVs, volume, and materials—without manual effort.

🔍 Key Features

✅ Generate up to 8 LOD levels (LOD0 to LOD7) with one click
🎚️ Set custom poly reduction values per LOD using sliders
⚙️ Choose from three reduction modes: • Crunch – Aggressive optimization
• Protect – Balanced and clean
• Exclude – Minimal reduction for visual fidelity

👀 Real-time distance preview support in the camera view
📉 Displays poly and vertex count for selected objects
🧠 Preserve UVs, volume, and materials during mesh decimation
🧩 Clean and simple UI inside the N-panel (press N to access)
📁 Auto-naming system (_lodX appended to object names)
🔄 Works on multiple selected objects for batch LOD generation

📦 What’s Included

DAW_LOD_Generator.py Blender addon
Step-by-step installation instructions
Full documentation and usage guide
Email-based technical support

📌 Version 1.0 Highlights

🆕 Full end-to-end LOD pipeline integrated inside Blender
📊 Real-time polygon and vertex
💬 Tooltips for better user experience

Release Notes