Multiple Shaders vs. One Diffuse Map

Questions & Answers
1

Our team seems to have two approaches to mapping 3D Assets:

A). Apply multiple shaders (up to eight or more) onto a single asset. So there will be one Unity material for a silver plastic part of the asset, and then several types of metal for the asset, etc. Each represented as a shader, no diffuse map. Just a procedural normal, etc.

Other option:

B). Try to merge as much detail as possible into diffuse and normal maps, and reduce Shaders to around four. So two similar parts will share one shader with a multi-colored Diffuse Map and Normal map. and leverage a specular map to help control which parts are more reflective etc.

My questions is: What are the pros and cons of these methods? Is one easier on the Unity engine? We create training simulations, so we often have a LOT of complicated assets, as we are anticipating the users will pick up/utilize any tool or object at anytime, at will.

2

1. Using multiple shaders on to a single is always convenient and quicker to implement,but if combined that will break the batching. And having more materials in our scene is also not the best workflow. Later on u may run into performance problems.
2.If you Categorise your objects according to its properties and use texture atlases for them, so the material count goes down and u will have an advantage of batching, so it is safe game to go with one diffuse map in most of the cases where they will have lot of objects in the scenes.
----- But i think in your case you can use different shaders cause the shader count you are about to use is pretty ok.
But does that shaders uses a texture or just colors??