ZBrushCentral

Do IMM's always need separate texture maps? How to "merge" IMM's UV with base mesh's?

Please forgive my inexperience, but all the IMM tutorials I’ve watched all unwrap+texture IMM’s before applying them which results in 2 separate texture maps. Is it possible to get it after applying IMM’s to save on a needless drawcall? Seems like a waste for something small like a cactus thorn (i.e. image below)

I’m running into issues like unwrapping causing all the stacked IMM uv’s to split up (which takes up unnecessary UV space and a nightmare to polypaint).

TQhdwVZ.png