Some Tricks for Model optimization

I thought I'd share some tricks I picked up over my modeling "career" that I use to reduce the vertex & triangle count of my models
let's take a look at a model here


and let's take a look at the wireframe

there are quite a few vertices which dont contribute to the shape of the model at all or only minorly so let's see what we can get rid of...

I've highlighted a few things there as you might notice, now let's see what we can do to save a couple of vertices on these areas.

This loop is completely useless, it does not add to the shape of the model at all , it just exists so get rid of those edges and all connected vertices.

We can collapse every other edge in this loop and still maintain a similiar silhouette, in this case it doesn't make much of a difference though.

These boxes have been extruded out of each other and out of the model, we can remove the top yellow loop completely if we make these 2 boxes sepperate objects instead , and also save 3 quads/6 tris on the larger box.

We can also get rid of most of the lower yellow loop but have to keep the top edge of the indented part , this edge will then be connected to the bottom edge of this model.

After doing all I've mentioned above the models wireframe looks like this :


and the actual model does not appear all that different


The same principle I've demonstrated for the orange loop can be applied to spheres or any rounded object, just reduce the amount of sides depending on the diameter