Managing visual content.
WHAT TEXTURES CONSUME
Memory, which is frequently the tightest constraint.
WHAT DETERMINES SIZE
Resolution, format, compression, and the number of maps per material.
WHAT COMPRESSION TO USE
Platform-appropriate compressed formats, always.
WHY
Uncompressed textures consume several times the memory for no visible benefit.
WHAT MIPMAPS ARE
Pre-generated smaller versions, used at distance.
WHAT THEY PROVIDE
Better appearance and better performance.
WHY BETTER PERFORMANCE
Smaller textures are read more efficiently when the object is distant.
WHAT ATLASING DOES
Combines many small textures into one.
WHY THAT HELPS
It reduces material count, and therefore draw calls.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
A texture resolution standard per object category.
WHY
Inconsistent resolution wastes memory and looks uneven.
WHAT TO AUDIT
The largest textures in the project.
WHAT YOU WILL FIND
Assets at far higher resolution than they are ever displayed.
WHAT TO PLAN FOR MOBILE
Substantially lower budgets, and platform-specific compression.
WHAT TO AUTOMATE
Import settings, by folder or naming convention.
WHY
Manual per-asset settings are forgotten.
