Low Poly

   The term low poly (also low-poly or lowpoly) is used for polygonal [1]3D
   models whose polygon count is relatively low -- so low that one can see
   the model [2]approximates the ideal shape only very roughly. For typical
   models (animals, cars, guns, ...) the polygon count under which they are
   correctly called low poly is usually a few dozens or few hundreds at most.
   The opposite of low poly is [3]high poly.

   WATCH OUT: Retards nowadays use the term "low poly" for
   stylized/untextured high poly models; they even use the term for models
   whose polygon count is lower than the number of atoms in observable
   universe, or they use the term completely randomly just to put a cool
   label to their lame shit models. STOP THIS FUCKING INSANITY, DON'T CALL
   HIGH POLY MODELS LOW POLY.

   The exact threshold on polygon count from which we call a model low poly
   can't be objectively set because firstly there's a subjective judgment at
   play and secondly such threshold depends on the ideal shape we're
   approximating. This means that not every model with low polygon count is
   low poly: if a shape, for example a [4]cube, can simply be created with
   low number of polygons without it causing a distortion of the shape, it
   shouldn't be called low poly. And similarly a model with high polygon
   count can still be classified as low poly if even the high number of
   polygons still causes a significant distortion of the shape. However let's
   say that if it has more than 100 triangles it's most likely not low poly.

   The original purpose of creating low poly models was to improve
   performance, or rather to make it even possible to render something in the
   era of early computer graphics. Low poly models take less space in memory
   and on good, non-capitalist computers render faster. As computers became
   able to render more and more polygons, low poly models became more and
   more unnecessary and eventually ended up just as a form of "retro" art
   style -- many people still have nostalgia for [5]PS1 graphics with very
   low poly models and new games sometimes try to mimic this look. In the
   world of capitalist consoomer computing/[6]gayming nowadays no one really
   cares about saving polygons on models because "[7]modern" [8]GPUs aren't
   really affected by polygon count anymore, everyone just uses models with
   billions of polygons even for things that no one ever sees, soydevs don't
   care anymore about the art of carefully crafting models on a low polygon
   budget. However in the context of [9]good, non-capitalist technology low
   poly models are still very important.

   Low poly models are intended to be used in interactive/[10]real-time
   [11]graphics while high poly ones are for the use in offline
   (non-realtime) rendering. Sometimes (typically in games) a model is made
   in both a low poly and high poly version: the low poly version is used
   during gameplay, the high poly version is used in cutscenes. Sometimes
   even more than two versions of models are made, see [12]level of detail.

See Also

     * [13]pixel art
     * [14]ASCII art
     * [15]low fidelity
     * [16]retro

Links:
1. 3d_model.md
2. approximation.md
3. high_poly.md
4. cube.md
5. ps1.md
6. game.md
7. modern.md
8. gpu.md
9. lrs.md
10. real_time.md
11. graphics.md
12. lod.md
13. pixel_art.md
14. ascii_art.md
15. low_fidelity.md
16. retro.md