I still use all the above methods described in preivous posts for different needs, here's one other, though it limits the figure to a non-rigged (no longer posable but scalable and movable) statue with or without textures:

• Create a figure, pose it, fit it with clothing, hair, etc.

• Hide every part of the figure not visuuble to the vieiwer in the content pane window (e.g. legs under pants, feet in shoes, ect.)

• export the model as an obj, collect the textures, hide invisibles

Optional: do all the above and then export the texures with texture atlas to condense them into a single image for the entire model and everything on it.'http://www.daz3d.com/texture-atlas-for-daz-studio

Optional: use the 32 and 64 bit version of the app, keep both open, set up in one and export out to the live scene as needed.

For crowds I would just do the whole scene, then export to obj, then depending on texure needs I would either texture altas the scene or drop them down to gray for a distance shot if it's dark out (e.g. zombies)