Writing to SDL_Surface Pixels

[Ginto8]

I've been using 24 bit textures for months without problem; one of the parameters for glTexImage2D() lets you specify the format that your pixel data is in. I've never heard of anyone putting their textures into a sheet. These aren't 32x32 tiles that you would use in a 2D game, they are 256x256, 512x512 or even bigger textures. A 512x512 texture consists of 262 144 pixels. At 4 bytes per pixel, that is an entire megabyte, cutting that down to 3/4 of a megabyte definitely seems worth it.

well, I guess you're right. But until it gets to the gpu the "optimization" doesn't happen. And a good gfx card can still handle 256 textures that size. Your choice, though.