Reusing textures.

[MSTRPLN]

Does applying the same texture on mutiple objects affect the server? For example, you have a object that for Li reasons you have to seperate but they share the same UV space & texture

Would this be unefficient and rather make 2 seperate UV's half the original size?

[Fritigern Gothly]

Think about it, instead of using one texture, you now make two. 

Which would require more data to be transmitted, which would take up more space in your inventory (and thus on the server).

Or let me ask you what is easier to carry, one 10 pound bag of potatoes, or two bags with 10 pounds of potatoes each?

[ChinRey]

For those who don't get Fritigern's subtle hint, reusing textures and other assets is always good both for the server and your computer. The SL software isn't making nearly as much out of the potential gain of reusables as it could and should but it still helps. So do it whenever possible.

Edited March 4, 2020 by ChinRey

[Kyrah Abattoir]

I'm part of a group of builders that uses a shared texture pool, we try to reuse the same textures as much as possible when landscaping

[Coffee Pancake]

Texture reuse is probably the single biggest thing any region builder can do to improve render times.

The lack of texture reuse following changes in building habits (the move from prims and bought in world texture packs, to mesh) easily accounts for a significant portion of SL's increased requirements.

Asset reuse is less beneficial, unlike game engines SL can not make use of instancing. (Instancing would basically makes the render cost of all subsequent exact copies of an object free). I would love to see Instancing in SL as a builders tool - rez a tree, make an 'instanced copy', and have it only use 5% Li as reward. The caveat being that instances cant be changed and changes to the original object affects all instanced versions).

[Kyrah Abattoir]

There is still a considerable benefit to reusing meshs, even if they are not instanciated, it's still a single download. In addition, it MIGHT still be one instance in ram, before transform operations.

[ChinRey]

4 hours ago, Kyrah Abattoir said:

There is still a considerable benefit to reusing meshs, even if they are not instanciated, it's still a single download. In addition, it MIGHT still be one instance in ram, before transform operations.

It saves upload fee too