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.

if 2 models point to the same texture, it should only be loaded once.

to access textures loaded with a model you have to iterate through meshes and meshparts. this way you can also grab diffusecolors etc.
to handle multiple textures/colors in one model, you can write a simple MeshTag-class, that contains all the data you need from the BasicEffect and store it in part.Tag.

something like this should do the job:

foreach (ModelMesh mesh in model.Meshes)
foreach (ModelMeshPart part in mesh.MeshParts)
{
MeshTag tag = new MeshTag();
tag.Texture = ((BasicEffect)part.Effect).Texture;
tag.Color = ((BasicEffect)part.Effect).DiffuseColor;
part.Tag = (Object)tag; //not sure if a cast to Object is needed
//additionally you can set a customeffect here
}

when trying to access MeshTag-Data, dont forget the typecast.

hope that helps,
major

[quote name='MJP' timestamp='1357284358' post='5017390']
1. If you use ContentManager it will make sure you only an asset once. So if multiple models reference the same texture, the texture will only be loaded once and shared among your models. You don't need to do anything special on your end to make that work.
[/quote]

Glad to hear it. I'd hoped XNA would've been intelligently written!

[quote name='majorbrot' timestamp='1357312548' post='5017438']
something like this should do the job:

foreach (ModelMesh mesh in model.Meshes)
foreach (ModelMeshPart part in mesh.MeshParts)
{
MeshTag tag = new MeshTag();
tag.Texture = ((BasicEffect)part.Effect).Texture;
tag.Color = ((BasicEffect)part.Effect).DiffuseColor;
part.Tag = (Object)tag; //not sure if a cast to Object is needed
//additionally you can set a customeffect here
}

[/quote]

Thanks, looks easy enough. I'll give it a try.