When used in the context of digital
environment creation and rendering, "lodding" can refer to
the process for objects to have multiple textures, lighting effects, 3D models, and other aspects in varying "level of detal" that change based on the distance the camera or view is from that object. As the camera moves closer to the object being actively rendered, the "level of detail" of the textures, 3D model of the object, and other aspects being used to render that object, will increase. So, an object the size and shape of a basketball, at a distance of 100 meters from the camera, might use much lower-resolution textures, less detail in lighting/shadow effects, fewer polygons in the 3D model, and other lower-detail aspects of the object, when rendering it, than if that object was 50 meters, 10 meters, or 1 meter from the camera or view of that object. Lodding is the process of substituting higher-resolution and higher detail aspects to render an object, as the camera or view moves closer to the object.
The reverse happens, as the distance between the object and the camera increases, using increasingly lower detail and lower
resolution versions of the models, textures, and other aspects used to render the object, as the camera
continues to move farther away.
In
the latest release of my
favorite PC game, the game creators greatly improved how smooth the lodding performed, eliminating the lag perceived
when the level of detail of the terrain and objects changed, as I moved closer to, or farther away.
