Scene limitations

In order to improve performance in the metaverse, we have established a set of limits that every scene must follow. If a scene exceeds these limitations, then the parcel won’t be loaded and the preview will display an error message.

For a straight-forward reference of what limitations you’ll have for a specific number of parcels, check the following table:

Reference table

Scene limitation rules #

Below are the maximum number of elements that a scene is allowed to render at the same time:

n represents the number of parcels that a scene occupies.

Triangles: n x 10000 Total amount of triangles for all the models in the scene.
Entities: n x 200 Amount of entities in the scene.
Bodies: n x 300 Amount of meshes in the scene.
Materials: log2(n+1) x 20 Amount of materials in the scene. It includes materials imported as part of models.
Textures: log2(n+1) x 10 Amount of textures in the scene. It includes textures imported as part of models.
Height: log2(n+1) x 20 Height in meters.

Important: Only entities that are currently being rendered in the scene are counted for these limits. If your scene switches between 3D models, what matters is the rendered models at any point in time, not the total sum. Player avatars and any items brought by a player from outside the scene don’t count for calculating these limits either.
File size: 15 MB per parcel - 300 MB max Total size of the files uploaded to the content server. Includes 3D models and audio. Doesn’t include files that aren’t uploaded, such as node.js packages.
File count: 200 files per parcel Total count of the files uploaded. Includes 3D models and audio. Doesn’t include files that aren’t uploaded, such as node.js packages.
Max file size 50 MB per file No individual file of any type in the scene can exceed 50 MB, no matter how many parcels the scene has.

Optimizing #

See Performance Optimization for tips about how you can keep your scene below these limits and make it run smoother for players.

Scene boundaries #

When running a preview, any content that is located outside the parcel boundaries is highlighted in red when rendered. If any content is outside these boundaries, you won’t be allowed to deploy this scene to Decentraland.

If the tip of a large object leaves the boundaries, this object is considered out of bounds too.

A single parcel scene measures 16 meters x 16 meters. If the scene has multiple parcels, the dimensions vary depending on the arrangement of the parcels.

It’s possible to position entities underground, to either hide them or to have only a portion of them emerge. A scene can’t have tunnels that go below the default ground height, players can’t travel below the y = 0 height.

Shader limitations #

3D models used in decentraland must use supported shaders and materials. See 3D model materials for a list of supported shaders.

Lighting #

The scene’s lighting conditions can’t be changed from the default setting.

Texture size constraints #

Texture sizes must use width and height numbers (in pixels) that match the following numbers:

1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512

This sequence is made up of powers of two: f(x) = 2 ^ x . 512 is the maximum number we allow for a texture size. This is a fairly common requirement among other rendering engines, it’s there due internal optimizations of the graphics processors.

The width and height don’t need to have the same number, but they both need to belong to this sequence.

The recommended size for textures is 512x512, we have found this to be the optimal size to be transported through domestic networks and to provide reasonable loading/quality experiences.

Examples of other valid sizes:

📔 Note: Although textures of arbitrary sizes sometimes work, they are also often rendered with bugs and are more unstable. We strongly advise that all your textures match these sizes.