Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
The final checkbox sets the sprite for use in 3D. This is not required to use the sprite in
3D; however, you may come across strange rendering options with it disabled, so it is al-
ways best to enable it if the sprite is to be used in a 3D environment.
The final option of the texture settings section is for setting the sprite's texture group.
GameMaker allows for the creation of texture groups within projects. When GameMaker
exports a project, all the project's graphics are saved into large images called texture
pages. Every time GameMaker has to use a different texture page, it must unload the cur-
rent page and load in the new one; this is called texture swapping and uses a small amount
of CPU power, which can cause stuttering or slight freezes in larger games when not op-
timized.
Texture pages allow for graphic assets to be placed on a single texture page according to
how the user groups them. This allows for menu graphics, for example, to be saved to a
single page. Then, GameMaker does not need to do a texture swap during the menu,
meaning no stuttering as a result. This can also be applied to separate themes or levels in a
game. Texture groups allow for deeper optimization of projects.
Clicking on the texture group dropdown list will display all the texture groups currently
active in your game. Select which group you would like to make the sprite a part of to add
it to that group. You can define your own groups from Global Game Settings .
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