So how model size actually works ?

[bboy-tiger-]

I would like to ask what affects model size the most.

I suppose pollys, but how animations affect them.
And what are other factors ?
And how much pollys affect them ? Can I get a bit detailed explanation about those things, I'm really interested in this. Thanks.

 

[D a w n]

everything of the model affects the file size because a model is basicly just a piece of text and every texture,poly,particle and so on is written init.
And more text=more msi
animations are 1 of the main msi adders. that´s why you always should linearize the animations of your model.

 

[bboy-tiger-]

I noticed that Ru model makers have quite high quality models, well best i seen so far, just unbelievable. But their models takes 300-600kb, they have lots of animations. And quite nice looking skin, but those skins(textures) takes less than 100 mostly and they are still quite nice looking.
When I made 2 animations, that add me like 4kb on model. So i thought that animations don't take so much. But i don't remember how to work in 3dsmax5 anymore xD, that was few years ago.
Anyway you didn't directly answered my question: what affects THE MOST on the size of the model ? (well maybe it depends, but i mean on regular wc3 models, not models generally)

 

[skrab]

the more keys (animation) you have the larger the file size is
When i work in 3Dsmax5 i use a lot of keys so my models have a lot KB's

About the polycount well the blizzard recommends max around 600 triangles for units but you can go up to 1000 or up but only if you use just few of those models in the game. For buildings around 800 tris but you can add more.

 

[Devine]

xgm are mostly WoW rips ... these models are very detailed and have a huge filesize.

 

[bboy-tiger-]

Y I figured out that yesterday, i don't playa wow so i didn't know that was wow models, but they are not so big size, at least not some, usually they are ~300kb + 100 textures (those are HQ and they take small space...).
If someone would break 4mb limit wc3 could look quite standard with graphic today. So you make more keys when animating, and that would be more text, so larger size. I got that, about pollys; is there a big difference between 500 and 1000 pollys ? Where can I see number of pollys ?

 

[BlinkBoy]

I'll give you a better answer:

Models = Number of Keys, TYPE OF KEYS(Linear & Doninterp consume way less than Bezier & Hermite)[The last 2 consume 3 times more space than the first], meshes.

Skins = The best skins are Paletted Blps with low mipmaps. They appear big, but when compressed they have a very high ratio of compression, unlike JPGE Blps.