"It would be cool if there was a node that detected how far away from the active camera the mat zone it was loaded into was, eh? e.g. that you could use to vary LOD relevant effects..."

 

Maybe it could somehow take into account the angle as well. Seems like a "smart" renderer could do a lot to optimize resources bu automatically choosing geometry detail, maps etc.

"Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H. L. Mencken