Simple Questions about File Size (Map and Models)

[kmde613]

Ok. Out of curiosity and I just really needed to know. I have a few questions here concerning File Size since it can really ruin multi player games hosted with a "Too Big" File Size.

Maps:
1. Do creating custom units and triggers wind WE make the file size bigger? As in make it go above 200 KB?

2a. Will putting units on a map increase file size? If so, does it affect it greatly or not so much?
2b. If I made a map which had "pre-made" and "set" units on a map and had another map where the game will spawn the same type of unit, Which map will have a bigger file size?

3. What are the things that makes a Map File exceed 1 MB other than a HUGE Map Size and Imports? Will making Triggers and Custom Units really reach 1 MB? I doubt it.

Models:

1. I see models with such great quality, and its less than 20 KB, does that mean models are better than skins as skins are usually above 70 KB regardless of what model its used on?

2a. I had a plan on adding more animations on a model to save file space. So my general question here is, Does a Mode with lots of animation tags affect it's file size allot.
2b.If you don't get this, heres my Idea. I edit an animation of a "Villager" and replace it with an "Archer" animation. But then, I also want it to have an animation of "Jaina" so I can have a spell casting type. Having lots of animations all stuck up on one model by adding a "upgrade" or "alternate" tag, will it be a huge difference rather than just having 2 Saperate Models for a Archer Villager and a Jaina Villager?

3. Will the size (scaling) of a model affect it's file size?

Thats really all for now. Thanks so much for Minding this thread as File Size gives me head aches in hosting maps.

 

[aznricepuff]

The bnet map limit is 4 mb, which is kind of hard to reach.

Maps

1. custom units and triggers do make the file size bigger, as obviously the map needs to save the compiled byte code from your triggers and all the data for your custom units.

2a. putting units on a map just adds code to your map script (the part that is called on map initialization...the same part that initializes all your triggers and globals) telling the game to place units at X location. So yes, it does increase file size since it's adding code, but the increase is negligible.
2b. Don't worry about it and just place them using WE. The code you would write for creating them after map init would be essentially the same anyway as the code WE automatically adds when you place units in the editor.

3. You would need lots of code and custom units to hit the 1 mb mark without any imports. (this one rpg I made had literally thousands of lines of code, the map size was epic, and I had thousands of doodads and hundreds of preplaced units...and the size was only 900 kb without the imports)

Models

1. Many models use pre-existing wc3 skins. Since wc3 models have extremely low polygon counts (zoom in and it's quite obvious), the actual model itself is small in size. Skins are textures, and since all skin files are the same resolution, the only thing that affects the size of these texture files are the colors and color patterns used in the texture (which affects how well the .blp filetype can compress the file).

2. One model with a crapload of animations on it will still probably be smaller in size than two separate models with half the animations (unless to get those extra animations you load on extra textures and sprites and particles, etc.)

3. No.