1024x512 vs 1024x1024

unstoppablex

hey guys,

I just wanted to know if there is any disadvantage at all from using a 1024x512 map vs the standard 1024x1024, i've rarely ever seen someone use this ratio aspect before but from what i have searched there is no problem as long as it is power of 2. does anyone have any input on this?

Wesley

Some engines don't support 1024x512.

If you're just making stuff for your portfolio I wouldn't worry. If you're making assets for an engine in mind then I'd check.

Froyok

Well, from what I know some CG doesn't like very much some hard ratio aspect (like 16x512) but most of them will handle without any problem something like 512x1024 or 256x1024. I guess most of the current game engine are not afraid of this type of texture now.

Ark

I've read somewhere that square textures are better for engines that use streaming. This is quite trivial for portfolio work, but just thought id throw it out there.

Computron

Ark wrote: »

I've read somewhere that square textures are better for engines that use streaming.

This is true for Cryengine and UDK at least.

Ark wrote: »

This is quite trivial for portfolio work, but just thought id throw it out there.

For actual work, if you have 2 textures that are this size, and their respective objects are usually on screen simultaneously, it would be a good idea to pack the two into one square texture.

unstoppablex

alright, so the answer is it works completely fine in game engines unless you're using mip map streaming? Looks like they have something called RIP maps, just like MIP but for un-uniformed textures like 1024x512. but they aren't supported in some low end video cards. so i guess that means we could be seeing these type of maps more often in the near future

EarthQuake

The biggest advantage of 512x1024 over 1024x1024 is that it uses half the memory.

The biggest advantage of 1024x1024 over 512x1024 is that it gives you double the pixels.

Any other reasons for using or not using are going to be incredibly specific, and your tech team will tell if you you should or shouldn't use them.

You certainly shouldn't avoid 1:2 textures.

Every game engine uses mip-mapping, this has nothing to do with texture ratio.

The concern with streaming is how the textures are loaded into - and out of - memory. If most your textures are 1:1 but you have a random 1:2 texture in there, its going to take up the same space as the larger 1:1 texture, so you get no memory savings. Even then, the engine can pack two 1:2 textures in there, its not going to break the system or anything, its just less efficient in certain situations.

Again, unless you're using a specific engine that you know has trouble with odd texture ratios, its not worth worrying about.

Brendan

The GMotor 2 engine uses a lot of them; racing games built on it (GTR2, Race07, etc) often use 2048x1024 textures for vehicle bodywork textures. Grass, asphalt, etc are all 1024 or 512 or even 256 squares, but the two dozen or more (usually; I've run up to 55 in GTR2) cars all using 2:1 textures don't seem to cause an issue.

Elyaradine

As far as I know, iPhone games require square textures for the compression they use. If you use a non-square texture then it either gets stretched to be square, or it gets stored as an uncompressed texture.

unstoppablex

UDK apparently doesn't have memory issues with it at all. it is said in there documentation that 1024x512 map will be half the size of a 1024x1024. However there is nothing to confirm if MIP maps are anyway effected by 2:1 ratios. According to most wikis i've seen MIP needs to support RIP mapping which hands ratios like 2:1 4:1 etc

ambershee

There are no real issues with non-square textures in UDK. I can't speak for CryEngine, but I'd imagine it is the same.