Shall we talk about file sizes in mods? - Page 2

propbeanie · 11-26-18, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fifi

It seems a pandora box you just opened

Of course community would be very grateful if you could manage to reduce mega mods loading time and probably avoid some CTD linked to them.

I’ve tried almost all the super mods present here on subsim, and the longer/heavier to load on my « old » gaming machine are in this order:

- GWX Rework Rus (always CTD on launching career - at least 8mn load)
- WAC5 (often CTD on loading save - almost 8mn load)
- TWOS (never CTD - around 3mn load)
- LSH (very few CTD - around 2mn load)
- GWX3 (never CTD - around 2mn load)
- NYGM (never CTD - around 1mn load)

Also get some occasional stuttering on TC with WAC5 and TWOS, very few with LSH and GWX, almost never with NYGM, but that’s an other story...

Sounds have a huge impact on loading times too. Probably N°1 hit

And WAC5 has a nice sound folder...

Ahhh but Fifi, this would help ~close~ the lid on Pandora's Box...

Hitman · 11-26-18, 09:09 AM

Jeff you have raised one of the most important points ever here. So many years we have been following the inertia and ignoring how the snowball became ever bigger while rolling. There is no doubt the 3D part is a huge hit for our processors - having gone to much more modern PCs since 2005 has masked it but still on old game engines like SH3 becomes noticeable. Yes, shared resources in the 3D part are key to solve many problems but we have a formidable number of scattered units around, some in super mods, others in single unit mods/addons

Therefore the best way to do an optimization that works for everyone would probably be to list the units and proceed in a collaborative effort to slowly make our way through it. I guess that IABL merchant fleet mod is one of the most spread around mods, but I have no idea if he already did that optimization.

Blackswan1940 · 11-26-18, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fifi

- TWOS (never CTD - around 3mn load)

Since when is WOS available for SH3?
I thought it is a mod for SH5!?!?

Fifi · 11-26-18, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackswan1940

Since when is WOS available for SH3?
I thought it is a mod for SH5!?!?

Was talking about mega mods i’m Using on my computer

Not only SH3.
And i know Jeff is also SH5 user

ETR3(SS) · 11-26-18, 02:13 PM

I started doing this in SH4 with some of the mods I released once I got a better understanding of how the game worked. One of the added unintended effects was better mod compatibility because less files were used. Case in point is the UnitParts files for all the different Conning Towers in SH4. If you only used a single CT, you could combine all the files pertaining to the CT and hull into one. So not only is removing unused nodes beneficial, but removing redundant file structure is as well.

ETR3(SS) · 11-26-18, 02:20 PM

And on the subject of useless entries...any ideas what the dmy_soclu entries are for? Soclu translates to pedestal in Romanian and the nodes seem to be positioned along the deck.

bigboywooly · 11-26-18, 04:18 PM

Hmmm, so in the MFM there are a few ships that are basically 3 copies of the same unit.

M**A for America
M**B for Britain
M**X for neutrals

And you're saying you only need one model to be called for in the other cases as in SH5 ?

GWX 3 plus the Schleuse mod with AOTD_Maxs units plus MFM and Von Dos's ships really stretches my load times

Jeff-Groves · 11-26-18, 04:41 PM

BBW,
Take a look at the NBB_Nevada in the SH4 sea folder.
(I can send it to you if you don't have SH4)
You might recall I tested this just after SH4 came out as We were putting the BuV_Dock1 and BuV_Dock2 into GWX.

Jeff-Groves · 11-26-18, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ETR3(SS)

And on the subject of useless entries...any ideas what the dmy_soclu entries are for? Soclu translates to pedestal in Romanian and the nodes seem to be positioned along the deck.

I know on the Turms the crew is positioned on the DMY_Soclu_xxx
They may be left over from a never implemented use?
Remove them and see what happens is all I can suggest.
Or maybe assign something to one with the eqp file?

Jeff-Groves · 11-26-18, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hitman

Jeff you have raised one of the most important points ever here. So many years we have been following the inertia and ignoring how the snowball became ever bigger while rolling. There is no doubt the 3D part is a huge hit for our processors - having gone to much more modern PCs since 2005 has masked it but still on old game engines like SH3 becomes noticeable. Yes, shared resources in the 3D part are key to solve many problems but we have a formidable number of scattered units around, some in super mods, others in single unit mods/addons

Therefore the best way to do an optimization that works for everyone would probably be to list the units and proceed in a collaborative effort to slowly make our way through it. I guess that IABL merchant fleet mod is one of the most spread around mods, but I have no idea if he already did that optimization.

I believe a program written to scan every dat file and remove the useless stuff would be the way to go. Then anyone could download it, run it, and carry on without the hassle of reinstalling and so forth. No MFM has not been optimized. It has 125 Units with the stuff.

Jeff-Groves · 11-26-18, 05:08 PM

For converting SH3 units to SH4? There is a program that will do all the hard work for you.
It converts the unit completely! only thing it does not do is create the AO mappings.
All dynamic shadow stuff is ripped from the file along with the 3D models,
Unifiedrender is installed, textures are converted to dds, val and other files fixed also.

So it NEARLY readies SH3 units for SH5 also!

Jeff-Groves · 11-26-18, 05:56 PM

I just scanned the complete data folder of GWX.
I found 244 files with dynamicshadow.

My scan lists the names and locations of every file found also.
I'm adding to the script to give me exact locations in each file.
From there I should be able to build up to removing things.

HanSolo78 · 11-26-18, 06:16 PM

Your programme would do a hell of work!

If you have a look into the WAC full interior you will notice that there is also a lot to optimize.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/jlrdsd...terior.7z/file

I started with remeshing 3d meshes and reducing triangles, etc.
Also.. very time consuming... I only got 1 interior done (not published yet).

Jeff-Groves · 11-26-18, 06:21 PM

WAC scan of data folder shows 236 files total. So yes. Could be cut way down.

Anvar1061 · 11-26-18, 11:34 PM

Jeff, give instructions and together we can work on perspective in my opinion project WAC v5.02.

11-26-18, 09:09 AM	#17
Hitman Pacific Aces Dev Team Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Spain Posts: 6,109 Downloads: 109 Uploads: 2	Jeff you have raised one of the most important points ever here. So many years we have been following the inertia and ignoring how the snowball became ever bigger while rolling. There is no doubt the 3D part is a huge hit for our processors - having gone to much more modern PCs since 2005 has masked it but still on old game engines like SH3 becomes noticeable. Yes, shared resources in the 3D part are key to solve many problems but we have a formidable number of scattered units around, some in super mods, others in single unit mods/addons Therefore the best way to do an optimization that works for everyone would probably be to list the units and proceed in a collaborative effort to slowly make our way through it. I guess that IABL merchant fleet mod is one of the most spread around mods, but I have no idea if he already did that optimization. __________________ One day I will return to sea ...

11-26-18, 02:13 PM	#20
ETR3(SS) Ocean Warrior Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Between test depth and periscope depth Posts: 3,021 Downloads: 175 Uploads: 16	I started doing this in SH4 with some of the mods I released once I got a better understanding of how the game worked. One of the added unintended effects was better mod compatibility because less files were used. Case in point is the UnitParts files for all the different Conning Towers in SH4. If you only used a single CT, you could combine all the files pertaining to the CT and hull into one. So not only is removing unused nodes beneficial, but removing redundant file structure is as well. __________________ USS Kentucky SSBN 737 (G) Comms Div 2003-2006 Qualified 19 November 03 Yes I was really on a submarine.

11-26-18, 02:20 PM	#21
ETR3(SS) Ocean Warrior Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Between test depth and periscope depth Posts: 3,021 Downloads: 175 Uploads: 16	And on the subject of useless entries...any ideas what the dmy_soclu entries are for? Soclu translates to pedestal in Romanian and the nodes seem to be positioned along the deck. __________________ USS Kentucky SSBN 737 (G) Comms Div 2003-2006 Qualified 19 November 03 Yes I was really on a submarine.

11-26-18, 04:18 PM	#22
bigboywooly Rear Admiral Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Swindon, England Posts: 10,151 Downloads: 35 Uploads: 0	Hmmm, so in the MFM there are a few ships that are basically 3 copies of the same unit. MA for America MB for Britain M*X for neutrals And you're saying you only need one model to be called for in the other cases as in SH5 ? GWX 3 plus the Schleuse mod with AOTD_Maxs units plus MFM and Von Dos's ships really stretches my load times __________________ My mediafire page http://www.mediafire.com/?11eoq19bq9r41 Last edited by bigboywooly; 11-26-18 at 04:36 PM.*

11-26-18, 06:16 PM	#28
HanSolo78 Sea Lord Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Austria Posts: 1,842 Downloads: 100 Uploads: 3	Your programme would do a hell of work! If you have a look into the WAC full interior you will notice that there is also a lot to optimize. http://www.mediafire.com/file/jlrdsd...terior.7z/file I started with remeshing 3d meshes and reducing triangles, etc. Also.. very time consuming... I only got 1 interior done (not published yet). __________________

11-26-18, 04:41 PM	#23
Jeff-Groves GLOBAL MODDING TERRORIST Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 5,654 Downloads: 137 Uploads: 0	BBW, Take a look at the NBB_Nevada in the SH4 sea folder. (I can send it to you if you don't have SH4) You might recall I tested this just after SH4 came out as We were putting the BuV_Dock1 and BuV_Dock2 into GWX.

11-26-18, 05:08 PM	#26
Jeff-Groves GLOBAL MODDING TERRORIST Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 5,654 Downloads: 137 Uploads: 0	For converting SH3 units to SH4? There is a program that will do all the hard work for you. It converts the unit completely! only thing it does not do is create the AO mappings. All dynamic shadow stuff is ripped from the file along with the 3D models, Unifiedrender is installed, textures are converted to dds, val and other files fixed also. So it NEARLY readies SH3 units for SH5 also!

11-26-18, 05:56 PM	#27
Jeff-Groves GLOBAL MODDING TERRORIST Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 5,654 Downloads: 137 Uploads: 0	I just scanned the complete data folder of GWX. I found 244 files with dynamicshadow. My scan lists the names and locations of every file found also. I'm adding to the script to give me exact locations in each file. From there I should be able to build up to removing things.

11-26-18, 06:21 PM	#29
Jeff-Groves GLOBAL MODDING TERRORIST Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 5,654 Downloads: 137 Uploads: 0	WAC scan of data folder shows 236 files total. So yes. Could be cut way down.

11-26-18, 11:34 PM	#30
Anvar1061 Ocean Warrior Join Date: May 2012 Location: In the sea, on land and above Posts: 3,486 Downloads: 878 Uploads: 0	Jeff, give instructions and together we can work on perspective in my opinion project WAC v5.02.