MDL File Size

I've been noticing some Model issues as I've began tweaking and changing models around. Primarily in their file size. Some models have a much larger file size than others with less animations. I'd imagine it's because some have more bones than others.

Still, one thing that has a larger file size than others is Tauren models. Is there perhaps a way to keep the quality of a model but lower it's file size? What make's models so large and how do you fix it?

I've got some excellent looking models that're under 200kb. Mind you this is excluding the textures. I'm just curious what's making these models so big? Maybe a clear example would be the Templar with Sledgehammer/Cross vs the Norse models of †-Revellion-†. The Templar could probably be reduced down to about 240kb and have the same animations, where as the Norse can be reduced down to 102kb and still havethe same number of animations. There's not too big of a difference between some of these models either (To the naked eye)

So I'm just curious what makes these different and is there a way to reduce model file size without reducing quality? (I use the squisher either way)

Oh and if there's an animation with a morph built in, how would I go about removing the morph completely so I could use it without?

Thanks for your answers. It will help me a ton! I'm working on maps and am crediting appropriately.

Wow. You are an awexome new user. If I do say so myself, you sound like me a bit.

Sorry, I wish I could legitamitely (sp?) answer your question. But really, great job phrasing it. Keep that up, and you'll do well (I have, somewhat... :P)



(hmm, first emote usage)

This thing might be useful:
MDX Squisher

Thanks though! So far I got all the tools I need. What I was hoping to do was find a way to lower model sizes along side using the squisher. I already use the Animation Remover to take out disbaled or unnecessary animations, then squish those files, which saves A LOT of space. But I want to use Tauren, Gnome, and Dwarf models without dealing with their larger than average file sizes.

But on note of the Squisher, does anyone know if multiple squishing of a model is necessary or how many times you should squish a model to get optimal compression? I squish most my models an average of twenty times and wonder if I'm not just wasting time.

Still, the original question is still very relevant to me, and I'd love to know the answers.

And thanks Kyrbi0.

TL;DR: I already use squisher, is multiple squishing wasting time? And I need my first question answered.

Squishing a model once is all you need. You can't truncate values that are already truncated, as it were.

The Squisher is a lot like an automatic snap-to-grid machine. The MDL stores a lot more accurate information than is really necessary; every value goes back about eight decimal places. It simply cuts this back a bit, allowing the MDX to be squeezed down a lot better by the MPQ compression WC3 uses.

So, multiple squishing is completely useless.

And yes, filesize comes almost exclusively from the number of sequences or complexity of animations. Models with an obscenely massive triangle count would have a larger filesize without particularly fancy animations, but if you have a model that detailed, then it really has no place in WC3. Chopping out useless and/or unnecessary sequences is your only choice for tangibly eating filesize.

Remember that in any normal WC3 model, each keyframe requires three lines of MDL code. Multiply this by, say, 60 keyframes for a single bone, then again by the 40-odd bones that might be in there... I know that's a bit ham-fisted, but it gives you a general idea.

See, I figured as much. To a much less educated extent, lol. I'm pretty sure I know how to remove sequences. I haven't tried yet, and am not sure if I'd know how to recognize a sequence that's useless or not.

I was thinking of trying out the tutorials on special effects creating provided in some of these forms and learning a bit about modeling though.

I'm still not sure how to remove morphing properly yet.

Lol. :P

~~~

Hmm... Do you have Magos and Oinkerwinkles modelling programs? I would highly suggest them.

Because for Morphing models, (don't quote me on this), I'd just open it in Magos and delete all the extra geosets (transforming units appear with the normal and morphed form on top of each each, as it were). So you just Control+Left Click on different parts, delete the appropriate Geosets + Geoset Anims, and then the Alternate + Morph sequences.

Again, 'Gospel according to Kyrbi0', here. I'm a n00b to this as well.

If you're going to carve off the morphed form's geosets, remember to remove all the extra bones too -- the morphed forms are essentially seperate models (except pansy ones like the new Steam Tank, which just gets an bonus rocket pack) stuffed on top. As I said, the major drain on size is in the animation data.

Ah yeah, Bones and Materials, too. And Textures.

Hidden information: So it's animations and bones and stuff are what really drives up the KB? I've got this "dinosaur" model that's, like, 640 kbs, and it comes from the Dragonspawn model, with the upper torso removed and the head smashed down on the body. But the bones are still there; should I delete them and any associated geosetanims to squish it?

Sorry, my own question, thusly off-topic. :P

The problem with models like the DragonSpawn is that they're essentially ripped WoW models -- they have far more detailed animations; more bones with more animations.

But yes, as a general rule, carve off anything and everything you can think of that is no longer in use -- especially GeosetAnims, which will crash the game if they are not assigned any geoset.

Hmm... Is deleting bones as easy as doing "Delete Node" on the unused Bone Nodes? I'll have to be careful to not remove the needed bones... And how can I tell which bones correspond to which GeosetAnims?

When you delete a bone, you're looking for it being related to an actual geoset. In my experience, you can safely ignore warnings about bones being related to geosetanims.

Otherwise, yes, just delete. If you've already taken out the related geosets (and geosetanims that correspond to them), then you should have no warnings when removing unneeded bones.

I've been adding on tools as I come to need them. Magos and Oinerwinkle's stuff are amongst my arsenal.

Hmm, I think I may need more experience in modeling before I can safely determine what geosets and anims are going unused and which aren't. I figured I'd look through some tuts today.

Thanks for the info, it'll definently come in handy.

You can select what geosets you want rid of in Magos' by ctrl+clicking on the appropriate geometry on the main display.

Once all your unnecessary geosets are gone, you can go to the GeosetAnim window and examine them all -- those with a Geoset field set to "none" are unnecessary and should be deleted immediately.