TextureAtlas unload behavior: does unloading the atlas release the backing Texture when both are AssetManager-managed?

Direct answer

The effect of calling AssetManager.unloadAsset(atlasPath) on a TextureAtlas depends on how the backing Texture was registered with the AssetManager:

• Texture loaded as a separate asset entry: The atlas and the texture each have independent reference counts. Unloading the atlas decrements only the atlas’s count; the texture remains loaded until its own reference count reaches zero.
• Texture loaded implicitly during atlas parsing (the typical case): The texture is not registered as a distinct asset; it is stored internally by the TextureAtlas. When the atlas is disposed (its reference count hits zero), its dispose() method disposes the internal texture, freeing the backing memory.

Confirmed facts (libGDX 2.2+)

• AssetManager.unloadAsset disposes an asset only when that asset’s reference count reaches zero; it does not automatically cascade to other assets unless a dependency is explicitly registered.
• TextureAtlasLoader loads the atlas image file directly into a Texture field inside the newly created TextureAtlas and does not call AssetManager.load on that texture.
• TextureAtlas.dispose() calls texture.dispose() on its internal texture page(s).

Verification approach

1. Source inspection: Examine AssetManager.unloadAsset (no special case for TextureAtlas) and TextureAtlas.dispose (calls texture.dispose()).
2. Unit test: Load a TextureAtlas via AssetManager, optionally load the same image file as a separate Texture entry, call unloadAsset(atlasPath), then check manager.isLoaded(texturePath). If the texture was loaded separately, it will still return true; if only the atlas was loaded, the texture will not be present as a distinct entry.
3. Memory profiler: Use a tool like VisualVM or Android Studio Profiler to observe native memory before and after atlas unload. When the texture is internal to the atlas, native memory drops after unload; when the texture is a separate entry, memory remains unchanged.

One diagnostic detail needed

Was the backing texture loaded as a separate AssetManager asset (via an explicit load call), or is it only the internal texture packed inside the atlas? This determines whether unloading the atlas will free the texture memory.