Hello I need help deciding whether using Decal Vertical Grating is worth it, over continuing to use Part Vertical Grating which gives a better look.
In my game I used decals grating in between columns of part grating(100 parts on avg, on the beginning, middle, and end of the gate)
I’ve noticed Decals shadows renders similarly to parts shadows(that’s good for my game), but since optimization features, especially occlusion culling is present. I wondered if I would benefit more from using parts. Since each part is rendered seperately, rather than using decals which is rendered in bulk, even if I’ve cut them into chunks.
If your goal is to balance performance and aesthetics, using Decals is clearly the more efficient choice.
Physical parts, even when chunked, increase the number of individual render instances. This means more draw calls, more overhead from occlusion culling, and poor scalability in larger games. Decals, on the other hand, are batched and rendered together, significantly reducing graphical cost.
What you noticed is correct: decals still cast convincing shadows, which is great for your case. On top of that, decals applied to fixed surfaces are properly handled by occlusion culling, while very thin parts (like gratings) may sometimes escape culling and keep rendering off-screen.
If decals give you the visual result you want, go with them. And if you’re aiming for more visual depth, combining Decals with SurfaceAppearance can give you the best of both worlds.