Map lag, how to reduce it?

My map is currently only 654KB, and has a lot of text files, a SLK file, 3 model/texture files, and a TGA file in it.
Anyway, the loading time takes about ten minutes no exaggeration. How can I reduce this time, I even changed "Map Initilisation" to "Elapsed time 1 second", but the fact remains that there are hundreds of triggers in there, is this what is making it lag, or is it the fact that the screen is covered by fog and not black mask?

- How can I turn the fog of war into black mask? (noob question I know, but everything I try doesnt work)

- How can I reduce loading time?

- How can I stop the map freezing up for a few minutes at startup? (and dont tell me to get more ram :P)

Thanks in advance.

first, how big is the map, 192x192, 256x256, 480x480? that increases the size tremendsouly, custom text files and whatnot shouldnt create a problem becuase it is just the same as if those were blizzards files, only problem i might see there is perhaps there is some error inside the file (wrong data, but i donno), next, number of regions, placed units, doodads, that all increases the loading time.

Great point.

Ya, I'm guessing it's the map size too. My new map is 192x192, has 411 triggers, 321 vars, 589 initially starting units, and over 3300 daadoos, 86 regions, 48 spawn areas (that are all initialized during start), custom .slks and .txt files (for custom spells), and my loading time is 51 seconds.

I have a 1.2Ghz AMD with 512MB ram. Nothing great.

If you have a 480x480, loading time is increased tremedously. Look at it this way, a 480x480 map is about 5.25 times the size of a 192x192, area wise.

But it wouldn't just be a 5x loading time (on a 480x480 versus a 192x192). Some things increase tremendously, and not linearly with map size. Pathing for one.

The fog thing on a huge map, could also play quite a bit into lag if it's an oversized map (it's easy to check how much it's adding to lag, just deactivate it during startup).

I've noticed unit placement and daadoos do play into loading time, but you'd need a huge number of these to have significant lag, much higher than the standard limits set by Blizz.

HeroQuest Episode 1:

About 300 triggers, 8000+ doodads, i think close to 200 regions, over 200 placed units, 256x256 takes about 1 min to load on my 1.6ghz

yeah 1 minute here also
but my friends ~500 Mhz need 30 minutes to load your map >_<

Visibility - enable black mask

But don't you think peeps will be pissed seeing a black mask after waiting ten minutes :ggani:

atRandom, I've already tried that trigger, that and many others, and the black mask does not go there. And it is an RPG map, so there is no need for fog, black mask is proper for RPG's IMO.

Dakan I have gone through and deleted several regions and doodads from my map, but haven't had the chance to test it yet. BTW, I love your map (HeroQuest episode 1.)

another thing is to know, there is a nice feature in wc3 that wasnt in starcraft that helps elimate regions.

Unit In Range

that and converting a point to region with size

i cant tell you how many times i used those 2 things in my map, all the mini bosses, cinimatic triggers, and other crap, the bulk of the regions i used were for the monster spawns and setting up the "areas" that monsters can spawn

Tapek, can you give us specifics on the size of your map, the amount of daadoos, initial units, and anything else you can thnk of that will allow us to narrow it down.

I really doubt it's region, unit or daadoo related, but without more info, we're not going to be able to help much.

But again, if it's a 480x480 loaded, there's your problem.

Alright I've deleted a few regions and rummaged through my triggers and deleted dozens, as well as removing hundreds of unseen doodads and units. Thanks for all your help, I appreciate it.

My 480x480 LOTR map I'm working on is over 900 Kb and doesn't take much more than a minute. I've got a 1 Ghz Celeron with 640 Mb of RAM.

Loading speed is affected by a combination of things, including CPU speed and memory as well as RAM speed. If you're taking that long (10+ minutes) to load a map, then I'm gonna' hazard a guess and say that map exceeds the limitations of your computer. Seriously.

You never told us how big your map was, or what your computer's specs were. But the problem sounds a lot like what you'd expect if you tried to load a 480x480 on a slower computer with little memory. Say a 500 Mhz CPU with 128 Mb of RAM.

I'm just guessing though, but there's a reason the WE won't let you make a map higher than 192x192. It's because they wanted to make sure the "minimum system specs" could run the biggest map they could make.

So in conclusion, GET MORE RAM! :)

Care.

When adding custom files, does the New protector reduce it's size in anyway?

Have you tried looking at how the black mask was created in the WarChasers scenario (that comes with War3) and copying what was done there step-by-step? All I know is that there's a black mask in that map and that it works as expected.

Well if you want to know, I've got...

AMD Athlon 2000+XP
Geforce 4 MX
256MB DDR ram

Running wc3 in OpenGL...
I didn't tell you the map size, because I am too lazy to open it and see. But the lag issue is no longer a prob thanks to deleting a few triggers and doodads.

BrittleSnapArm, good idea... I'll do that...

YOU DONT USE TRIGGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!

there now that you noobs got that down heres how!

i didnt think i was the only one on this foum who knew emote_sweat but go to senirio in the main area, click map descrpition, "MASKED AREAS ARE PARTIALY VISABLE" thereis the key!:ggani: That easy, BUT if you want FOG OF WAR then you do this trigger:

function Trig_Melee_Initialization_Actions takes nothing returns nothing
call CreateFogModifierRectBJ( true, Player(0), FOG_OF_WAR_MASKED, GetPlayableMapRect() )
endfunction

//===========================================================================
function InitTrig_Melee_Initialization takes nothing returns nothing
set gg_trg_Melee_Initialization = CreateTrigger( )
call TriggerAddAction( gg_trg_Melee_Initialization, function Trig_Melee_Initialization_Actions )
endfunction

sorry its in custom text i was too lazy to type out the way it should look...
basicaly you say create efect at region (whole map) black mask

ive used this before but im not sure if it still works...:(