Polygon Count
Polygon count (poly count) is the number of polygons in a 3D model, directly affecting rendering performance and visual detail.
What is Polygon Count?
Polygon count (or "poly count") is the total number of polygons, usually measured in triangles, that make up a 3D mesh. It's the single most important metric for a model's rendering cost: more polygons means more work for the GPU, and a heavier file.
Triangles vs Polygons vs Vertices
These metrics are often confused:
- Vertices (verts): corner points
- Polygons (polys): faces (usually quads while modeling)
- Triangles (tris): what the GPU actually renders (1 quad = 2 tris)
Game engines report triangle count, since that's the real rendering cost. A "10k poly" character might be "20k tris."
Recommended Poly Counts
| Asset | Triangle Budget |
|---|---|
| Mobile prop | 300 to 1,500 |
| Mobile character | 3,000 to 10,000 |
| PC/console prop | 1,000 to 10,000 |
| PC/console character | 20,000 to 80,000 |
| VR asset | Keep low (rendered twice, per eye) |
| 3D print | Count doesn't matter (no real-time) |
Managing Poly Count
- LOD: swap to lower-poly versions at distance
- Normal maps: fake detail without geometry
- Retopology: rebuild dense sculpts efficiently
- Decimation: algorithmic reduction (last resort)
For a broader treatment of trimming render cost, see our guide to optimizing 3D models for game performance.
Polygon Count in Sloyd
Sloyd lets you control model quality, which directly affects polygon count. Lower quality = fewer polygons for mobile/web; higher quality = more detail for hero assets. Every model targets efficient, game-ready poly counts.
