Guide to faster games with less memory usage

[ezzypixel]

Tip:
Try to make your graphics of a size close to something of a power-of-two. It will waste less precious memory.
A power of two size is one of the following: 8,16,32,64,128,256,512,1024
Images less than 8x8 pixels will be stored in a 8x8 texture as they cannot be smaller than that.
You can easily use different sizes for your width and height, they don't have to be equal.

Hi, where can I find more information about this? And would this be a good practice even when making games for the PC?

Edit: What I really want to know is how this helps to use less memory.

[happygreenfrog]

Hi, where can I find more information about this? And would this be a good practice even when making games for the PC?

Edit: What I really want to know is how this helps to use less memory.

It helps to use less memory because of the GPU, though I'm not 100% sure the exact reason, you could probably look it up on the internet (try searching "GPU texture power of 2" or something like that). I don't think it makes the app take up less hard drive/flash drive/etc. space, though, but it's still an important thing. It also helps make PC games take up less memory, but, since PCs have a lot more memory, it isn't as big of a problem there.

[Danny]

Hi, where can I find more information about this? And would this be a good practice even when making games for the PC?

Edit: What I really want to know is how this helps to use less memory.

This would only benefit HWA PC games and not standard. This is because the HWA version utilises the GPU to render and draw as opposed to the CPU.

[ezzypixel]

Thanks, Danny, & Happygreenfrog.

This would only benefit HWA PC games and not standard.

So do you mean like using the DirectX9 display mode as opposed to standard?

This is because the HWA version utilises the GPU to render and draw as opposed to the CPU.

So the GPU uses power of 2 for mapping and CPU doesn't?

Edit: Also, I've read more on the subject, so I've become a little more knowledgable about it.

[Javira]

This have been asked before by other users but no answer:

1) To make a background out of 12 unique active static objects 256x256px, each containing 1 frame is better performance wise than making 1 object with 12 frames and duplicate the object 12 times?
Worded differently, is it better to use duplicates containing many frames or use many unique objects with 1 frame?

2) Duplicate frames in an animations? Do they take up space in a spritesheet and therefor memory?

2) Background images lowers performace more than a static object? So as a rule thumb maybe not use them at all?

[Solid]

About "Power of 2"

If I have a lot of blocks that are 56x56 pixels, and they need to be that size in the game.
-Is it better to have the textures 56x56?
-Or is it better to make them 64x64 and them downscale them in Fusion for better performance?

Because my levels with many duplicates of the same object is making the game slow. Its a side scroller so it would be good if the objects were created just before they entered the scene, but that does not seem to be possible if I dont do it manually for each duplicate.