Map load weight

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Adurna
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Map load weight

Post by Adurna »

Hullo, I hope this is the right section.

I recently created a labyrinth map for my friends, but it appears to be too heavy. Not only did it take ages to load for the other players (that may be in part due to my connection) but sometimes it would also freeze on my pc while editing it.

I'm trying to figure out a way to make it lighter but I'm not sure how.

The problem I think I have is that in order to create it I used tokens and put them in the background layer. They're not even that heavy, I used a combo of 2 different tokens, the default black for walls and a 75kb one for the floor. Are there other ways to create the map? Is there a way to remove the endlees green waste around it? Would using the floor texture as bas instead of the grass help?

The campaign file itself isn't that heavy, it's not even 5mb, but it has proved too laggy for us to use reliably.


Also, I used the d20srd site tool to create it, and it took me quite a while to create in maptool with visual blocking and all, so bonus points if you manage to help me without me having to redraw it. Tho that will probably be the case, I'm sure.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to upload the whole campaign file but I'll attach a screenshot which is only 500kb


Thank you very much in advance for your help!
Attachments
dory piano screen.png
dory piano screen.png (484.98 KiB) Viewed 1051 times

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Jagged
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Re: Map load weight

Post by Jagged »

Large graphics like this are not very efficient.
You are better off drawing the map.

I would recommend using the graphics you have and drawing over them. Put the images on the background layer. Draw over the corridors on the object layer. Then draw a big background square on the background layer. Delete the images. Then use the Draw Explorer to transfer the drawings from the object layer to the background layer.

Job done.

Adurna
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Re: Map load weight

Post by Adurna »

Ahh, I see! I hadn't thought about that! Thank you!

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wolph42
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Re: Map load weight

Post by wolph42 »

weird, my post is gone.

as I said, you don't have to redo everything. you can also hack the entire graphic in 4 or 8 pieces and piece them together in maptool. that will lessen the impact on memory immensily!

as for the green waste: you can change the texture in edit map under the menu

Adurna
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Re: Map load weight

Post by Adurna »

I knew about changing it, but how to remove the excess? I mean, if I zoom out or move it just goes on and on and on, can I make so that it ends a few squares around the dungeon?
I didn't want to hack it into pieces, that's the first thing I thought of but I don't like it. I'd rather rewrite it, and if I can draw over it and then remove the old one I save more than half the work by having to check distances and room sizes so it's not that bad.


As a related question, I saw that in the drawing tool I can choose a texture instead of a plain colour. Can I choose the texture I was using to create the background tokens? That should still lighten my map from what I have now, right?

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Jagged
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Re: Map load weight

Post by Jagged »

With regard to the never ending background, don't worry about that. It has absolutely zero impact on performance.

I always change that background texture to black, but that is purely a styling decision.

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Jagged
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Re: Map load weight

Post by Jagged »

Adurna wrote:
As a related question, I saw that in the drawing tool I can choose a texture instead of a plain colour. Can I choose the texture I was using to create the background tokens? That should still lighten my map from what I have now, right?
You can use any texture you like. Using textures in such a way usually has little impact on performance. They are download once, then it's all plain sailing.

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Jagged
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Re: Map load weight

Post by Jagged »

To add to Wolph42's point, the reason you might divide the images into chunks is because the image resolution dictates how much memory the clients need to hold in state.

If the image is 2000x2000 pixels then the clients have to hold all that in memory even if only a tiny part is on show. Break it up into sections and maybe only one needs to be held in memory at a time.

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Full Bleed
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Re: Map load weight

Post by Full Bleed »

Adurna wrote:I'm trying to figure out a way to make it lighter but I'm not sure how.

The problem I think I have is that in order to create it I used tokens and put them in the background layer. They're not even that heavy, I used a combo of 2 different tokens, the default black for walls and a 75kb one for the floor.
Ok, this should create a very memory efficient map.

This is not you problem.
Is there a way to remove the endlees green waste around it? Would using the floor texture as bas instead of the grass help?
As mentioned, the grass background has no impact. For the same reason the method you used above should have little impact. It's just one small image used many times.
The campaign file itself isn't that heavy, it's not even 5mb, but it has proved too laggy for us to use reliably.
Please share the file. If you can't attach it here share it on a site like dropbox. I'm betting that there is something else going on that's casuing your performance problem (like how you've used VBL).
Maptool is the Millennium Falcon of VTT's -- "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts."

Adurna
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Re: Map load weight

Post by Adurna »

Here it is.

I already started on a copy to rework it, I've drawn the corridors as Jagged suggested and then removed the walls and replaced them by having the whole map use black background instead of the grass. Which has already halved the file's weight. So I'm quite happy with it for now and hope it will prove better on our next session. However, if there's anything else wrong Id be grateful for any advice!
Attachments
Dory piano.cmpgn
(4.05 MiB) Downloaded 45 times

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Jagged
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Re: Map load weight

Post by Jagged »

Try this
Dory piano.cmpgn
(2.09 MiB) Downloaded 52 times

Adurna
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Re: Map load weight

Post by Adurna »

Wow! Thank you so much!

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