TYPE: SOP
TITLE: LOD SOP

The L.O.D. operation is unusual in so far as it does not actually alter any 
geometry.  Instead it builds a level of detail cache for the input
object.  The cache to be drawn is based upon the distance to the
camera.  Thus, a complicated object will be drawn with a lower level
of detail when it is farther away.

The second input is the rest geometry.  If provided, this is the
geometry which will be used to do the (expensive) polygon reduction,
and only the points of the left input will be used.


Parameters:
    Step %             - Each successive levels of detail will contain
                         approximately this percentage of the number of 
                         polygons in the higher level of detail.  /steppercent
    Dist. Threshhold   - This is the distance from the camera at which
                         full detail will be present.                /distance
    Minimum %          - The objects won't be drawn with fewer than
                         this number of polygons.                  /minpercent
    Stiffen Border     - The amount of weight to avoid erosion of
                         boundary polygons.                      /borderweight
    Equalize Edges     - The amount of weight to favour even sized
                         polygons.                               /lengthweight
    Pre-Triangulate    - Polygons can only be reduced if they are triangles.
                         This option thus first converts them.    /triangulate
    Optimize Rendering - When set, triangle strips will be generated
                         and used for drawing.                        /tstrips
    Only Affect Polygon - If this is enabled, only the polygonal
                         portion of the model will be displayed at lower 
                         levels of details.  Otherwise, all types of surfaces 
                         are affected by the distance to the camera./polysonly

See also: Visibility
