Texture atlas generator

[relsoft]

Texture atlas generator(makes memory usage lower):
Based on this: http://www.blackpawn.com/texts/lightmaps/default.html

DL
http://rel.betterwebber.com/junk.php?id=106

Screen:


Update ver 0.5

* Added ability to set margins between sprites
* New VB6 based GUI (no choice here since it's the only RAD tool this laptop has)
* Added an ability to choose images folder in the GUI


Update ver 0.4:

* Added PNG support (both for loading and saving)
* Can now combine BMPs and/or PNGs in the images folder.

What this does is pack a bunch of multiple textures to fit on a single large texture using the minimum area.

Implications of this are:

Faster rendering (less binding of textures)
Low memory usage
Can use differently-sized sprites

So far this is only beta since I coded this primarily for my DS game:

DL:
http://rel.betterwebber.com/junk.php?id=101


*Source is included for anyone's perusal.

[agamemnus]

Add a license in too! ("public domain"??)

[dkl]

Cool!

[relsoft]

License is "use or abuse"

;*)

[relsoft]

Update:

http://rel.betterwebber.com/junk.php?id=106

Changes:

Multiple images support
Instructions on how to use (readme.txt)

[relsoft]

Update:

Someone emailed me that the index file it spits out makes it hard to find index numbers. So here's a version with a linear index file.

http://rel.betterwebber.com/junk.php?id=106

[agamemnus]

Why is this method better or faster than individual textures?

Also, how does it reduce memory usage?

[relsoft]

Why is this method better or faster than individual textures?

Also, how does it reduce memory usage?

1.
Any opengl coder knows that binding individual textures are sloooooow.
2.
It optimizes usage of your megatexture.

[agamemnus]

Why is this method better or faster than individual textures?

Also, how does it reduce memory usage?

1.
Any opengl coder knows that binding individual textures are sloooooow.
2.
It optimizes usage of your megatexture.

I'm not convinced at all. :D

I don't have a megatexture...

[relsoft]

Read this:

http://www.blackpawn.com/texts/lightmaps/default.html

This:
http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums ... _id=191721

This:
http://sourceforge.net/apps/wordpress/p ... ndtexture/

Those are the first 3 off google. I'm sure there are lots more.

[agamemnus]

Well, I see.

So, this is good for:
* If you are constantly changing the texture material parameters.
* If you are assuming the graphics card can't use non-power of two textures...

Otherwise... I'd rather do it the "easy" way. Though, I do see a possible impact on mipmap drawing, maybe...

[relsoft]

The card supporting non-pow of 2 textures is a non issue. It's the texture binding that makes stuff slow, so the less stuff to bind the faster your engine. Also professional engines like unity3d uses the same exact algo to optimize textures.

Re: mipmapping. With mipmapping enabled, this system is actually not suited. Unless I make it so that they are well spaced. Like having a 2-5 pixel boundaries or textures would "bleed".

One of the uses of this is when you make an opengl 2d engine where sprites are textured quads.

[agamemnus]

Good point about the mipmaps..

What exactly do you mean by texture binding? Do you mean like when the materials changing all at the same time is discussed?

[relsoft]

Texture binding is when you change textures aka glBindTexture().

[agamemnus]

Ah, I see.. I've gotten away from the base openGL commands so I didn't really know straight away.