Question by Essential · Dec 06, 2013 at 04:59 PM · performance optimization fbx memory meshes

Using an individual mesh from a large .fbx file

In some of my levels I loaded into Unity a set of meshes within a large .fbx file and dragged that into the scene, but then I deleted all mesh instances except one or two from that large model file. Can anyone tell me if this means Unity is now loading that .fbx file in its entirety into memory (and into the build) with all its unused meshes, or will it extract that single mesh from the file and only use the ones I've used in the scene?

Does it make any difference, or should I go into a 3D modeling app and export each object as an individual item?

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Pangamini · Dec 09, 2013 at 12:35 PM 0

I believe that unity loads only used meshes, as they are, after import, assets on their own. It makes sense to me, but can't say for sure

Essential · Dec 19, 2013 at 05:24 PM 0

Is there some way I can test it to find out? Problem is I'm not sure what to look for testing-wise.

Benproductions1 · Dec 21, 2013 at 07:59 AM 0

When Unity goes through the build process, it finds which assets could possibly be used by the application and only puts those files into the build. As for the Unity Editor, I do think that it loads all mesh data into ram, no matter what.

Essential · Dec 21, 2013 at 01:01 PM 0

Thanks Ben, I'll take your word for it and hope I'm not losing any performance in using a single mesh from a 'compilation' model file.

Benproductions1 · Dec 21, 2013 at 11:41 PM 1

The only thing you'd lose in any case would be memory, never performance (unless you have to end up simulating memory)