Size Matters !

Uff..My topic just got deleted by accident...

This is a 512x512 Canvas .png (ca. 16kb)

<img src="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/53738503/BlenderSword.png" border="0">

I started working with Blender now.

1. Because i want to learn to model in 3D.

2. Because it takes less time to animate in 3d with rigged models than it takes to draw in 8 perspectives.

I want to create a Diablo2'ish look in my game.

8 Direction Movement.

Pin armor and weapons to the character.

To get a flowing movement of my character, i need at least 5 pictures.

<img src="http://www.fjasmin.net/walk_cycle_tutorial/large_Diapositive14.png" border="0">

So 5 x 8 for my (Naked) character to walk in all directions.

Other animations:

1 Handed Attack + Block?

2 Handed Attack + Block?

Shields

Bow

Spellcasting

Special moves that can't be done by speeding up the frames.

And of course every Sword,Axe,Bow,Cape,Helmet,leg and arm armor, gloves and chest.

x 5 x 8 x every attack animation.

So the pictures to download grow quite a bit for every piece there is...

The Sword Png from the start for example:

16kb x 5 x 8 = 640kb

(This is only for when the sword is equipped while walking).

The Animation Below uses 16 Frames.

<img src="http://bestanimations.com/Fantasy/Warrior-02-june.gif" border="0">

16kb x 16 x 8 = 2048kb = 2mb !

And that is for one sword / one type of attack.

A whole set in 512x512:

Character(Movement animation 640kb + Every Attack Animation 2mb x min.5)

Head     same

Chest    same

Arms     same

Gloves   same

Legs     same

Shield   block

Sword    2mb

Using the sword to calculate.. (an allmost empty 516x516 png)

I got it to 67 Megabyte!!!?! Wrrahhgrrbl!

Now taken. 512x512 is quite big.

256x256 still looks good.

128x128 is the smallest i can go before it ruins the look of this sword.

(Keep in mind that it is uncolored)

<img src="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/53738503/128Sword.png" border="0">

67 mb   516x516

/2

33 mb   256x256

/2

17 mb   128x128

Even with the 128x128 variant.. my game might still be 100mb < in png size alone <img src="smileys/smiley19.gif" border="0" align="middle">

Taken.. i dont understand picture size very well.. when i rotated the 128x128 sword:

<img src="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/53738503/128Rotate.png" border="0">

I was 10kb, therefore larger then the 256x256 file <img src="smileys/smiley5.gif" border="0" align="middle">

But this just means that it might be even larger..

So.. anything to say? Any flaws ? Is C2 compressing image files?

Should i lay down and cry ?

Feel free to explain a bit about image sizes as well :)

Edit: The Animated Knight is about 90x90 so 128x128 might work..

You're not going to be able to "pin" things with this method, its just not doable in perspective. If you insist on doing it like Diablo2 did you will have to render out each possibility separately.

On the other hand, if you were to wait, there is the possibility that you could do it like Diablo3, and just have a 3d model for each possibility. So basically no frames, just 3d.

That's is a big if though, chances are C2 will never support 3d directly.

In the mean time you can practice by making your models as low in poly count as possible.

You're not going to be able to "pin" things with this method, its just not doable in perspective.

By pin i mean that the whole Animation scene of the armor is placed on top of the Animation of the Character, and they move simultaneously

Also have a look at image compression in C2.

Try to export your assets in png-8bits. You should see a far lesser download size.

67 mb   516x516

/2

33 mb   256x256

/2

17 mb   128x128

I think you should divide by 4 instead of 2 when you half the image size (4 times less pixels).

BTW very nice graphics, how long did it take you to create the sword animation with 16 frames you have going in your post?

Kyatric

Thx, seems that PNGNQ is pretty good at compressing :)

newt

Do you have a link, to a topic perhaps that talks about this 3d upload? Just curios ^^

juantar is doing some cool stuff with copperlicht, but that is not really my goal.

Geo It took about 5 seconds to Google it.. I only made the Sword -__- <img src="smileys/smiley17.gif" border="0" align="middle" />

Ahh by 4! Ofc.. Thank you ! :)

edit: Sword took 10 min. (First time Blender)

Schoening, same as you, the stuff juantar was doing.

Ok <img src="smileys/smiley1.gif" border="0" align="middle" />

The division by 4 instead of 2 + that good read on compression has made me a bit more confident :p

If in doubt.. I might re-compress in [Brute] just to save a tiny bit more.

Has anyone some numbers on other game sizes here?

Edit: GM:Html file size

gmc.yoyogames.com/index.php

Why does the sword need to be so detailed, when details are lost after downscaling?

Why does the sword need to be so detailed, when details are lost after downscaling?

I would like to have a Zoom. So i will probably go for 128x128

Am i even right in working with this doubling idea? 8x8 16x16 32x32 64x64 128x128 256x256 512x512 ???

I just picked up somewhere that a file that is 100x100 will fill as much as 128x128 so i might as well go for that one.