If I have one master texture file that contains textures for 4 different "x" files using different sections of the master texture file for each "x" file, is the master texture file duplicated 4 times in memory because it is called out in 4 separate FBE files or is it loaded just once to memory?

Loaded once as long as the 4 x files are in the same folder as the one texture.

Cheers.

Nice to know this is a requirement. Hopefully adds draw call benefits as well.

If you have 4 models and each one uses a 512x512 texture, would you use a 2048x2048 texture to texture the 4 models?
If this is so, you use a texture of 2048x2048 but make a call, while in the other way, you use a texture of 512x512, but make 4 calls.
Can anyone say which is the best option in terms of performance?
Or maybe you fit the 4 textures into a 512x512 texture.

There are a few factors to think about.

The more times a texture is accessed the more likely it will be cached. This improves performance.

So the best returns will be found when one texture is used for a lot of models that are seen by the camera a lot of the time. This reduces draw calls as you say. Video memory will be conserved if that same texture is located in the same folder as all of the models that use it. If not GG will think it’s another texture and load it again (uses file path not just file name).

So with the 4 model example I doubt much difference either way will be noticed.

However if you get up to dozens or hundreds of models in a level then you will definitely see benefits.

I have a level that uses two 4096x4096 textures containing all sorts of individual texture plates for walls, windows, doors, metal etc for approx 300 models (buildings and background assets) and this made huge video memory savings and 10-15 FPS uplift when I moved to this approach.

I guess your mileage will vary, just relaying what I found. It does take pre planning (or retro fitting in my case) to do this on a large scale and may not be for everyone.

Cheers.

Good info Ciber.

Due that GG already know the 4 textures one entity has, GG could auto-generate a mega texture, and use this instead of the 4 textures. Just a idea.

My demo of the big underground base in New Beginnings was optimised to use as few draw calls as possible It made a noticeable performance boost. I ended up with it running over twice as fast in the main and that was with even more objects later Took months of customisation though.

Nice vid DVader.
A lot of work you did there.