I've noticed when importing textures that the load time varies dramatically.
I'm loading high rez skybox images so the size and load times are important here.
JPEGS take about 30 seconds to load. Preloading doesn't vary a significant amount from using load().
RGB PNGs are about the same.
However, RGBA PNGs load in about 3 seconds. I don't even need the alpha layer and it bloats the size another 33%.
I'd stick with the last except one image is 50MB.
Since these are detailed background images I'm choosing to import Lossless.
Suggestions?
thanks

Perhaps it has something to do with compression - if you're using a skybox, you're likely in 3d and should use VRAM according to the docs. Maybe poke around the notes and see if there is something in imports affecting the memory. You might also disable mipmaps if they are not disabled.

Godot Docs - Importing Images

    SnapCracklins
    Actually the docs are pretty clear about image formats, load times, decompression times, etc.
    VRAM is good for lots of small assets like an RPG would have but my project is mostly based on pre-rendered images and for skyboxes they suggest using the Lossless setting.
    It was the fact that Godot has to apparently rebuild an imported file if it is missing the alpha channel that I found weird.

        Shadowphile alpha is extra data. so it has to re-import. but to add to your grievance, i have found doing this (updating or re-importing a file while godot is open) can cause crashes. It is irritating nonetheless.

            SnapCracklins
            I've never had a crash during reimports but I do run into buggy stuff sometimes that I never resolve but often goes away on it's own, or I just rearrange the code to get around whatever corner-case is causing the crash.
            All I can think is that when a PNG is missing the alpha channel, it has to do some kind of low-level rebuild on the image. Something I think should be fixed but only the issues that actually cause people problems get the attention.

              Shadowphile Vram texture compression has nothing to do with image file compression. Totally two different things that don't affect each other in any way.

                  21 days later

                  xyz
                  I'm using loss-less compression import anyway but it seems like it's taking a LOT longer to import an RGB PNG than an RGBA kind of makes no sense to me.