Efficient Use of Texture Sheets

BKegerise · Sep 2013

Hi, I don't really know where else to put this, but I've been looking for reference of really efficient use of texture sheets. I don't know if I'm not searching for the right thing, but whenever I google "multiple props on the same texture sheet" or something I get a bunch of results asking "how many textures can I use on one prop?" (ie. the exact opposite of what I'm looking for)

If you happen to know of any examples of really really good texture sheet use like Thiago Klafke's modularity tutorial or Tor Frick's single texture environment, please post it. I am finding nothing. Thanks.

Mambo4 · Sep 2013

the term to google is "texture atlasing" although it can refer to more than just 3D assets -it also includes for example 2D game sprite sheets.

there is a polycount wiki for this.

BKegerise · Sep 2013

Right. So the reference isn't for any one specific item. I understand the principles of efficient UV use, but the reference is more for providing a visual example to other people. Good packing is easy to find, but getting examples of reuse is what is tripping me up. People are happy to reuse textures in modular environment pieces, but when it comes to props people seem to mostly do one texture - one prop. I'm looking for examples, any examples, of someone using one texture - multiple props besides building elements like walls and floors.

BKegerise · Sep 2013

Thanks Mambo4

BKegerise · Sep 2013

That's interesting. Thanks perna.

JoscelinFrost · Sep 2013

I agree with Perna, its a bit tough to give recommendations or examples without a more concrete idea of your intentions with it. In general the best rule of thumb I would say is that if you want better use of your texture then plan your texture ahead of time, then model. Again, like perna said Gradient mapping is a great way of getting color variety by way of texture re-use. It all kind of boils down to what your needs and restrictions are, like in the L4D2 example, a splatter texture with 3 different channels can provide numerous permutations of blood splatter and will save you texture memory, but you pay for that variation with run-time shader performance. Its all a balancing act

Hope that helps!

Mambo4 · Sep 2013

Jesse Sosa (aka skanzero) gave a good talk about maximizing textures for characters at IGDA Austin, utilizing some of the ideas in that Valve paper. [ame="

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv5trqKw2FI&list=PLEaXrCrgNotcWesmgOF9PI9-oDXgJWE2S"]Jesse Sosa[/ame]

In these cases, really maximizing the rgba channels is going require some shader/engine specific tinkering to get it working.

S2Engine · Sep 2013

Marc-Antoine Hamelin's Mass Effect 3 thread shows off a ton of great art which heavily relied on texture atlases for props. There are some texture sheets in there and if you compare them with the screenshots you can see how they work.

Efficient Use of Texture Sheets

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