I'm having a couple of problems (or potential problems) that I'll try to describe with examples:
1) I have a couple of different models that all use the same texture map. If I load each model by the standard method,
I assume the texture map is loaded automatically several times. Assuming this is true (is it?), what's the best way to make sure
the texture is loaded only once? Have the models uvw mapped but with no texture and then load the texture separately and
pass it to a custom shader?
2) A similar problem. Since the texture associated with a model seems to be loaded automatically along with it,
what's the best way to load a model that you intend to render with a custom shader? Is there a way to grab the model's
texture from within the shader so it doesn't need to be loaded separately and then passed to the effect? (as that seems
to suggest you're loading the texture twice???)
Hope someone can shed light in this corner of XNA.
Thanks in advance.