Low Power mode

Low Power mode is an XR runtime functionality that reduces power consumption without impacting the responsiveness or the perceived performance of an XR application.

When Low Power mode is active, the engine automatically detects whether rendering the 3D context is actually required. When a new frame does not need to be rendered (for example, when the visible 3D content is not changing), the engine reuses the last cached frame instead of computing and drawing a new one. Avoiding unnecessary rendering helps to lower GPU and CPU usage, which in turn reduces power consumption and heat generation, and can extend battery life on portable devices.

Reusing cached frames affects only the rendering of the 3D context. All live functionalities continue to run as usual, so the application keeps behaving exactly as it does with Low Power mode disabled.

How Low Power mode works

Low Power mode continuously evaluates whether the 3D context needs to be re-rendered:

• When rendering is required (for example, the scene, a camera, an animation, or any visible element changes), the engine renders a new frame as usual.

• When rendering is not required, the engine displays the last cached frame instead of drawing a new one, which saves the corresponding rendering work.

Because the switch between live rendering and cached frames is automatic and based on actual need, Low Power mode saves power only when there is nothing new to draw, and it never delays rendering when an update is needed.

While cached frames are displayed, all live features keep their full functionality and behavior, including:

• Responsiveness of interactive components

• Navigation in the scene

• Sensors management

• Picking

• Interaction with 3D and 2D elements

As soon as any interaction or update requires a visual change, the engine resumes live rendering of the 3D context.

Controlling Low Power mode

Low Power mode can be controlled from three entry points. These entry points are kept in sync: changing the state from any one of them updates the other two so that they always reflect the same state.

• The dedicated Low Power mode button in the 3D View in Graphic Context Editor toolbar.

• The Low Power mode check in the Debug panel. For details on how to open it, see Debug panels.

• The lowPowerMode field of the Global node, which allows enabling or disabling Low Power mode from script (global.lowPowerMode).

  Note: Because the three controls share a single state, toggling any one of them immediately updates the toolbar button, the Debug panel check, and the global.lowPowerMode property.

Low Power scope

Low Power mode works on both XR Studio and deployed apps. It is possible to deploy the state of Low Power mode by leveraging the global.lowPowerMode property.

It is also possible to set its default state in specific projects by configuring the relevant property in the project configuration XML.

Enabling Low Power mode by default in a project

The default state of Low Power mode for a project is defined by the lowPowerModeEnable preference in the project preferences file (`projectPrefs.ini`, under the project `_prjdata` folder). Set it to True to enable Low Power mode by default when the project is opened:

lowPowerModeEnable=True

When the preference is not specified, Low Power mode follows the application default. It can always be toggled at runtime through any of the controls described above.

Template with Low Power mode by default

Low Power mode is enabled by default in the following project templates:

• ViewerFGI

• Training - Instructor Based

• Training - Instructor Based (sample)

• Training - Self Learning on single scenario

• Training - Self Learning on single scenario (sample)

• Training - Self Learning with scenario selection

• Training - Self Learning with scenario selection (sample)