Merge Skinned Mesh (MergeSMR) #

Merges one or more SkinnedMeshRenderers and MeshRenderers into one SkinnedMeshRenderer.

This component should be added to a new GameObject which has a SkinnedMeshRenderer component without Mesh specified. (Kind: Source Edit Skinned Mesh Component)

Benefits #

Merging SkinnedMeshRenderer will reduce number of deforming mesh (skinning). Also, it can reduce material slots using the same material, so we can reduce rendering cost.

Notes #

This component makes it impossible to turn meshes on and off individually on animations, but material-related animations will work without modification.

This component will configure Meshes, Materials, BlendShapes, and Bounds but other settings will not be modified. Please edit SkinnedMeshRenderer component attached to same GameObject as MergeSkinnedMesh to set Anchor Override or else.

If you are using [Modular Avatar], you can add [MA Mesh Settings] component to the root of the avatar to set the Anchor Override or else for the whole avatar.

This component is good for merging your cloth meshes and body meshes but not good for face meshes because BlendShape can cause performance impact. BlendShape is a feature became heavier in proportion to the count of vertices and BlendShapes. Merging SkinnedMesh increases vertices and face mesh usually have many BlendShapes. That’s why it’s not good to merge face meshes.

In addition, because of same reasons, you should freeze & remove unchanging BlendShapes for body / cloth meshes. You can freeze & remove BlendShape using Freeze BlendShape component. Add this component to both/either merge source SkinnedMeshRenderer and/or merged SkinnedMeshRenderer to freeze & remove BlendShapes. Also, you can use Automatically Freeze BlendShape of Trace and Optimize component to get the same benefits.

Trace And Optimize will automatically do the same process, so in some cases you do not need to use this component.

Settings #

Skinned Renderers #

The list of SkinnedMeshRenderers to be merged.

Drop to None element at the bottom to add renderer and reset to None to remove from the list.

Static Renderers #

The list of MeshRenderers (without mesh transform).

Those meshes are transformed to polygons weighted to one bone, the GameObject that MeshRenderer belongs to.

Drop to None element at the bottom to add renderer and reset to None to remove from the list.

Remove Empty Renderer GameObject #

If this checkbox is checked and the GameObject where SkinnedMeshRenderer belongs does not have any other components than SkinnedMeshRenderer, the GameObject will be removed from Hierarchy.

Skip Enablement Mismatched Renderers #

If this checkbox is checked, renderers whose enablement is different than target renderer on the build time will not be merged.

Merge Materials #

If this component found some Materials used in multiple renderers, the Materials will be listed here.

Check Merge to merge those MaterialSlots (SubMeshes) into one MaterialSlot. This reduces DrawCalls.