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Re: Suggestion for reducing size of map files, ...



Raphael Quinet <quinet@montefiore.ulg.ac.be> writes:
 
> The reason why I think it's important to have archetypes for floor,
> walls, etc is that you can stack them: very often, I put a wall on
> top of a floor because the floor can be seen ...  because it looks
> much nicer that way.  ...
> ... in the current map distribution there are still many maps designed
> for the "old" version of the game, i.e. there is no floor under most
> walls and then you see the default yellow floor around the walls when
> you are using XPM.  This is ugly.

This is part of the motivation for my original suggestion.  By
specifying a background on which all other items appear will instantly
resolve the problem of the "ugly yellow floor" under walls, doors, etc.
and make creating new maps significantly faster.

> ... This would not be possible if there was only one "background" element.
 
I never meant to imply that there should be only one "background"
element, nor that the "stacking" of buttons and floor archetypes that
goes on in some maps should be eliminated.  Floors would remain as
archetypes, you could put them over the background at will.  (I
actually think setting a "visibility" attribute for certain objects,
like buttons, would be a better approach, but that's another subject.)

Let me restate my position in a slightly clearer way:

There is no useful information content in 200 repeated instances of
a single floor archetype that can't be contained in a single instance
of a background.  This is a big waste of space in the map files, 
server memory, and (I believe) client/server bandwidth.  Additionally,
creating aesthetically pleasing maps would be simpler if the mapmaker
did not have the responsibility of placing the background under each
object.

Even if the server wants to store individual instances of the archetypes
and deliver them to the client, there doesn't seem to be a rational
motive for keeping them in the map files.  I estimate that you could
save an average of 25% in map file size using a simple, "one background
replacing the most common floor archetype" in maps, and an average
of 30-50% if you allow multiple rectangular regions of different
archetypes (e.g. houses with woodfloor inside and grass outside).

--Ken

+------------------------+-------------------------------------+
| Ken Woodruff           | "In every jumbled pile of person    |
| woodruff@cadence.com   |  there's a thinking part that       |
+------------------------+  wonders what the part that isn't   |
| Disclaimer: What tote  |  thinking isn't thinking of."       |
| bag full of $20 bills? |          --They Might Be Giants     |
+------------------------+-------------------------------------+