Optimization & Performance

The Nanite Foliage – High-Performance Realistic Grass pack is built with performance and scalability in mind. Whether you're targeting cinematic visuals or a 60+ FPS open-world game, this guide will help you optimize grass rendering without compromising quality.

🚀 Core Optimization Features

• 100% Nanite-enabled meshes – no LODs required

• Lightweight material instances with tons of shading customizations

• LargeWorld System for advanced distance optimization

• Low overdraw, high-density performance tuning

🎯 When to Use LargeWorld System

The LargeWorld System is not always necessary — it's designed for very large environments where traditional foliage setups would result in GPU bottlenecks or excessive overdraw.

Use Case	LargeWorld System?
Small levels or linear scenes	❌ Not recommended
Medium-sized outdoor maps	⚠️ Optional
Massive open-world terrain	✅ Strongly recommended
Procedural landscapes or streaming worlds	✅ Ideal
Consoles or lower-end hardware	✅ Helps performance

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💡 Performance Tips

✅ General Foliage Optimization

• Use Nanite for all meshes Avoid traditional LODs and let Nanite handle geometry complexity.

• Minimize Overdraw Dense overlapping blades can kill GPU performance - use wider blades or fewer instances at distance (e.g. via LargeWorld).

• Disable Shadow Casting on distant grass In the Foliage Tool or Grass Varieties, disable:

  • Cast Dynamic Shadow

  • Cast Static Shadow

  • Cast Contact Shadow

• Cull Smartly Even with Nanite, culling helps. Set Cull Distance Max appropriately based on your camera height and landscape scale.

📊 Test, Profile, Repeat

Always test your scene in realistic scenarios:

• Use Unreal Insights or GPU Profiler to monitor overdraw and instance cost.

• Test with cinematic cameras, top-down views, and fast movement (to simulate gameplay stress).

• Use stat Foliage and stat GPU to check foliage draw calls and GPU timings.