Object/Texture Optimization

[wheels1758]

Haggqvist and I were talking about some 3d crowd objects for tracks.

Which of these would be better? The premise would be 16 different sets of pants/shirts...

16 objects with different UV coordinates
1 1024 square texture

--OR--

1 object
16 256x1024 texture

[DJ99X]

I'm guessing you meant 256x256?

The first option would take up more memory, but I'm not sure if that is really an issue. I don't think either option would be worse than the other, as long as you have the statues ordered by texture.

[jlv]

My guess would be 16 objects. Only way to be sure is to time it.

Switching textures 16 times isn't a big deal anyway.

[wheels1758]

What do you mean by "time it"? Just load it up and check the FPS?

I'm guessing you meant 256x256?

Nah, if there are 4 sections of the object (pants, shirt, hat, shoes) or something like that, each texture would be 4 sets of 256x256 textures, meaning 256x1024. By moving the UV's of each object, you could make each of the 16 permutations of the texture, or you could make each permutation using a different 256x1024 texture and use the same object.

[DJ99X]

Well, the first option would be the best way to go then. You'd only be using 1/4 the texture memory then. But really, you'd be better off with whatever's easiest to make, ones not really significantly worse than the other in this case

[jlv]

What do you mean by "time it"? Just load it up and check the FPS?

That'd work. You might have to make a pathological case for it to show a difference.