Well, I fixed the FPS issue with my mesh combiner script. I needed to first clear the mesh filter before recreating it each Update() call. FPS is back up to 300, and verts are back below 30k.
One thing I’m curious to see once I create my dynamic SDF is whether interior surfaces of any overlapping meshes are ignored. Ideally, when spheres intersect, there aren’t any unneeded geometrical complexities causing confusion to the particles. I suppose I’ll find out soon. I’ve learned that it’s possible to view the SDF geometry in the inspector using debug view with the SDF Bake Tool.
I’ve realized that like it or not, I’ll need to implement metaballs to really complete the sphere merge effect. I’m sure it’s possible to generate a mesh filter from an implicit surface, but I’ll need to do some research. I’ve been toying with the idea of asking ChatGPT for help. Either way, first things first— I need to convert my dynamic mesh to a dynamic SDF.