Using a tiling texture vs texturing in the 0-1 UV space

Chase

I know it's a noob question, but why would you want to do anything but texture a mesh in the 0-1 UV space? For instance, say I wanted a mossy tree. Couldn't I just unwrap the tree in the 0-1 UV space and uniquely texture it getting the same result as if I used a composite of a tiling bark/moss texture? I'd use less textures this way. It makes sense to me that you would want to do nothing but texture in a 0-1 UV space, but I'm sure there's a reason why it's not always the go to process. No matter what you're texturing you still have to unwrap it in some form, so I'm just wondering what the benefits are to expanding the unwrap outside the UV square.

Bunglo

http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=87797

At the bottom of the page and on the second page, should help you out. Think there's some stuff in the wiki, too.

Butthair

I understand where you're coming from Chaserm2. Determining something like that is based on conditions. From where you're coming at with this example, making a unique texture for a single tree might be more ideal. But even you were creating a forest where there were many trees and variation was key, a series of repeatable texture and some shader work would be more ideal.

That is usually when repeatable textures are more helpful - when there are a lot more things to be made. In any case, it's good you are questioning these sort of situations.

I'm sure you'll come to this situation and realize there was a better way of doing it after you've already done it - so is the ways of gaining knowledge and understanding - every project should hopefully be one that you learn more and take from, as even game companies learn and adjust.

Daelus

Repeating and tiling textures can also be useful if you're working on something with a lot of repeating components. Paint on, and use repeating UVs. Easier and much more efficient. Keep in mind that to repeat a texture you don't really have to tile your UVs outside of 0-1 space, just overlap em and you can repeat.

AlexLeighton

I'll give you an example, which I'm actually working on right now: tank tracks. It has a repeating and tiling pattern, so rather than uniquely unwrap the entire tread (which is basically just a lofted rectangle), I've just made two links of the track, baked them into a square texture, and put my track UVs so that the left and right sides of the island are touching the left and right sides of my 0-1 box, but the top and bottom are both well outside the box. This way, the track texture will repeat across the whole thing, and I've used MUCH less texture space.

Now, I could've kept the uvs within the 0-1 box, but then I would have to fiddle with the tiling of my material in UDK, and it's just quicker and easier to do it in the unwrap editor.

Chase

Awesome guys. I'll just keep putting in the practice. I checked out the wiki and that link you posted Bunglo. Some good information there.

One other thing about draw calls. I know 1 texture = 1 draw call. If I use this texture on completely different assets, does that still remain the same draw call or is it a added draw call?