Best approach for Nametapes and/or patches on uniforms & backpacks? (how to add hiddentexture zones?)

[Matthew10_28 4]

As a method of near-character identification and to add a sense community through personalization, I have retextured uniforms to add branch and name tapes to uniforms.  I have also retextured backpacks to add custom name tapes.  Basically, new members get their name on a uniform, but this adds to the file size of our small modpack by about 5 meg for every new player.

I've found this method which uses a separate name tape object and the attachTo method, but it appears it has a major limitation of not staying properly oriented to the parent object.  https://forums.bistudio.com/topic/160703-attachto-object-to-backpack/

 

The only reasonable idea I've come up with is creating "hiddentexture" zones around the uniform model/texture we use.  Then I'd only have to have a small (in filesize) image of the name tape or patch to be associated with that zone.  I could see this happening to the uniform and maybe a couple backpacks we typically use.  This would easily reduce the file size burden.  If you are curious, the branch nametape goes across the left chest and the persons name goes across the right chest as well as the right side thigh pocket flap.

 

Any other ideas?  How do I go about modifying an existing model/texture to add in a named hidden texture zone I can use later?  I haven't run across anything on how to do that.