Handling Different Levels of Resolution

[Kodiak]

I'm wondering how game engines handle different levels of resolution. Are assets built at a maximum level of detail and game engines tend to automatically render them down to lower levels of detail to allow for better processor performance? Or do each level of detail have to be crafted and added in as an asset that the engine will draw upon as needed?

I am specifically referring to things such as running a game at, say, 640 X 480 vice 1028X780, using high res textures versus low res textures, detailed versus basic shadows, etc.

[toyoka]

I would guess that they are built at the highest res., set to a default setting (ie. shadows set to medium instead of high or low), then dumbed down according to the user's specs (through options within the game). Although I could be wrong, after all, I never programmed a game engine.

Edit: Oh geez, I was forum-surfing. Didn't realize I was in the programming section! Well.. hope my opinion counts for something!

[Claxon]

It varies on the type of game (and the engine used really). 2D willtypically be a highish res and scale down if necesary. In 3D however multiple resolutions textures for textures, and levels of detail for geometry are common. They will usually have dynamic level of detail rendering, so far away objects will use lower detail meshes & textures. These may be manually created or generated programatically( by directx for example).