How should I use 2k textures?

[riotcat]

Hi!
Upload costs aside - how should I use 2k textures? I've read that the viewer will only load what it needs, so is it fine if I create a Substance Painter 2k texture size project and upload it in that size?

Thanks!

[Sid Nagy]

Sparsely.

[riotcat]

18 minutes ago, Sid Nagy said:

Sparsely.

When does the viewer load it? I can't really do much that response. In another thread I've read that it doesn't matter if an earring, as an example, has a 2k texture since it wouldn't be loaded by the viewer. Could you back that answer up in any way, on a technical base?

Edited August 8 by riotcat

[Wulfie Reanimator]

Good practice is to only use the resolution you actually need.

If you're making a small item, like an earring, you're unlikely to need 2k textures because the earrings are almost never going to be the biggest thing on anyone's screen. Another mistake I see from jewelry creators is unwrapping all of the geometry with its own space in the UV map instead of overlaying repeated geometry (like chain links) in one spot so it can use more of the UV space and thus needing a much smaller texture. I digress.

2k textures are best used for complex objects with a lot of surface area, like the human body, large furniture, or buildings. 2k textures are also great for trim sheets.

2k textures can also be used to combine up to four 1k textures, which makes rendering the object more efficient for the viewer.

Edited August 8 by Wulfie Reanimator

[riotcat]

34 minutes ago, Wulfie Reanimator said:

2k textures can also be used to combine up to four 1k textures, which makes rendering the object more efficient for the viewer.

Is there any actual incentive for the creator to do the extra work? Being realistic here, why would anyone do this? No customer is *ever* going to say "wow, this creator is really good, they merged 4 1k textures into a 2k texture." That is.. not gonna happen. (but I think some right now "game" the mesh to get more separate textures onto it? So I may get the point..)

In this SL University video every map seems to be 1024. I suppose that is fine? I mean those maps must be only a few KB anyway.

 

 

Edited August 8 by riotcat

[Wulfie Reanimator]

1 hour ago, riotcat said:

Is there any actual incentive for the creator to do the extra work? Being realistic here, why would anyone do this? No customer is *ever* going to say "wow, this creator is really good, they merged 4 1k textures into a 2k texture." That is.. not gonna happen. (but I think some right now "game" the mesh to get more separate textures onto it? So I may get the point..)

It's a more specialized use-case for sure, but think about something like foliage - trees and bushes for example. You can batch more variation to fewer draw-calls. One 2k texture is better than four 1k textures. Scenes with lots of the same object would especially benefit from the optimization.

1 hour ago, riotcat said:

In this SL University video every map seems to be 1024. I suppose that is fine? I mean those maps must be only a few KB anyway.

One 1024x1024 texture takes up 4 megabytes (4096 KB) of video memory. One 2048x2048 texture takes up 16 megabytes of video memory.

[riotcat]

1 hour ago, Wulfie Reanimator said:

One 1024x1024 texture takes up 4 megabytes (4096 KB) of video memory.

So the viewer allocates the same amount of memory for a texture that is only a single color fill as for a complex image, and that counts for all of the maps?

If that's true, why does the SL University video not point out to at least use textures of a lesser resolution for the other maps?

Why does the system not encourage users to use a 256x256 normal map texture over a 1024x1024 normal map texture?

The users couldn't be blamed for using inefficient textures, it's the game's fault.

Edited August 9 by riotcat

[Eowyn Southmoor]

3 hours ago, Wulfie Reanimator said:

2k textures can also be used to combine up to four 1k textures, which makes rendering the object more efficient for the viewer.

I already do this now using 1024 textures. If i am texturing something that is small and doesn't need to use a 1024 for every part, I will scale 4 separate UV's to 512's and combine them onto a single 1024. 

Hopefully creators use 2048's the same way in most cases as you mentioned, but this is SL, so no doubt instead we'll see 2048 belt buckle textures, then deal with people complaining about even more lag 

[Chic Aeon]

There is a good reason for mapping multiple textures (up to 8 in most cases) to ONE texture plane -- whether it is a 1024 or a 2048.  The server then only needs to make ONE trip rather than multiple trips.  I have been doing this for over a decade.  

 

And so far as use there are very few times as has been said when you actually NEED a 2048 texture and I agree on the buildings part when used smartly. Personally I don't pant over all the HD body stuff, I am happy with a simpler look, but that is up to personal taste.  One other good use that I have seen in the past (assuming it was the Black Dragon viewer) was a 2048 gacha key. Some of those keys have so very many items that getting thing legible (at all) on a 1024 is pretty much impossible. 

 

In SANSAR (pretty long ago now) people were obsessed with large normal maps.  I though my stuff looked just fine with a regular size map. THERE we could upload up  to a 4096 texture which is SIXTEEN TIMES more than a 1024.  I only used that once putting a whole barn - inside and out with accessories on one texture plain. It took days to bake (well not really but it was long ago and it did take a very long time).

 

Here is an OLD video that explains how to put a bunch of textures onto one texture plane. It is kind of complex to wrap your head around but once you "get" it it works wonderfully.  The interface is of course very different but the idea is most likely the same.