Which is more memory intensive/friendly ?

[cyphyr]

Looking at Franks latest image, Autumn, got me wondering. As far as Terragen is concerned which would be more efficient?

A: loading 20 different object populations each of a single object (for arguments sake lets say 50 poly's)
or
B: loading one object population that is made up of a single object which itself in made up of 20 objects each of 50 polys.

Total number of polys should be the same but the node network will differ (obviously ) I "think" it would be almost identical with a slight overhead for the first option in that it would need an extra 3 nodes (plus textures?) for each population (total 60 extra nodes !! maybe not so slight then ) So "B" would be more efficient but "A" would give more control.

What do you think?

Richard

[FrankB]

I have chosen A for more control. It wasn't so hard to set up these 10 populations or so, after all.
If you look closely, the components overlay each other, but the little maple fruits and certain dead leaves pile up in the center, and other populations fall-off at a larger distance. That would have been more difficult to arrange with option B.

Regards,
Frank

[rcallicotte]

I wonder if when we create populations that these are actually memory instances and not just a proliferation of the same object over the number of the population.

[Oshyan]

I reckon perhaps A would be slightly more memory intensive in that it uses 20 nodes to do what B does in 1, but I'm really not sure. The only way to be sure is test...

- Oshyan

[rcallicotte]

Oshyan, do you know if the TG2 populations are instances or are actually the object multiplied?

[jo]

Hi Calico,

They're instances, that's why you can render so many of them.

Regards,

Jo

[rcallicotte]

Thanks Jo.  Cool.