# Decimation shrinks AI 3D models from a million triangles to 20,000

> Original title: Deleted 99% of an AI 3D mesh and you can’t tell the difference.

- Source: X search: indie AI launches (I built, solo founder)
- Published: 2026-10-28T17:39:42.000Z
- Bad Influence: https://badinfluence.news/items/hkfojj8nnb2d4pnhul6c3i6po
- Original: https://x.com/Bingeljell/status/2115498758431777118

## Summary

A solo creator's crash course, part 3, explains how to shrink a generated 3D model from over 1M triangles to about 20,000 for a game engine. It describes three methods, starting with QEM simplification, which scores each edge by how much merging its two points would change the shape. The post says simplification tends to remove fine detail such as carved eyes first.

## Post

Deleted 99% of an AI 3D mesh and you can’t tell the difference.

Most generated assets have 1M+ tris when an engine wants ~20k. Part 3 of our crash course on 3D covers how decimation works, shrinking a model without wrecking it, and ways it goes wrong. https://x.com/i/article/2115456215329501184