My map file size

[WAR_Nuker]

my MP map (bsp) currently exceeds 16 MB. That sucks. I want the file to be smaller and i DO NOT want to delete anything to do so. Any way I can do this?

 

[GonzoBabbleshit]

You can't. It's that big for a reason.

Well, you can compress it by adding it to a zip or rar file...

 

[WAR_Nuker]

well what would be a good idea to try to reduce file size? i got lotsa lights....would deletin some be effective? or even i have a LOT of props in my map....would deleting cause a significant change? how bout the nodraw texture? how big a difference would be made if i used nodraw more throughout my map?

 

[giant384]

yes some of that stuff can lower the size of the map and u can delete some nodraw texture but it depends on what ur using it for and it wont change the size much anyways

 

[GonzoBabbleshit]

the props and lights would probably make a difference, the nodraw texture wouldn't though.

 

[Raeven0]

Change the lightmap scale on faces that don't need much light detail. This can significantly reduce BSP size as lightdata is a large part of a finished BSP.

 

[WAR_Nuker]

but doesnt using the nodraw texture omit whatever lightscale there is on that particular face (thus cutting down my bsp file size) or do the nodraw surfaces still have lightscales?

 

[Raeven0]

A face with nodraw wouldn't have any lightdata to begin with

 

[Kyorisu]

Lightdata? well we have a good group here.

The terms Light Map.

 

[WAR_Nuker]

so yes nodraw would help keep the file size down since there is no lightdata....erm 'light maps' (which apparently causes big file sizes) i always did wonder why my vrad took 1.5 hours.....that and my skybox - both the one in my map and the one around my sky camera - were bloody huge. way bigger than they needed to be. fixed that up and will compile overnight to see what difference it makes in the compiling and file size. *crosses fingers*

 

[Raeven0]

Lightdata is a portmanteau word I saw someone somewhere use with reference to the light-related data associated with a face in the BSP. You can say light map if you like.

 

[Mapster]

i find that when you turn it into a .rar it ends up quartering the size

 

[WAR_Nuker]

yeah i was plannin on have this distributed via steam but its just way too big. i did make the file size about 1 MB smaller which is a plus....but that is still roughly 15 megs.....i guess ill just have to trust one of those map posting sites with my map in .zip form and hopefully it will attract some attention.

Edit: what do most people do when they want to distribute their map to others anyways?

 

[Phisionary]

hehe, don't argue terms with someone who can call up words like portmanteau with ease :dork:

does this map use any custome textures? If so you could resample them if they didn't need the resolution.
Same for models, basically.

I'd say.. make sure a zipped format is available, and hope people can stand the download when on the server. That is definitly in the upper range of what I'd like to download... and I'd expect it to be good, too.