Optimal map size?

[Ken L]

What is the optimal map size out of curiosity?

I used an 6k by 8k jpg just under 5mb which caused fg to seize up for 10 seconds before loading. With connected players this becomes even more of a problem and it has broken sessions to swearing fits.

[Moon Wizard]

You should keep map pixel sizes under 4K per side. Regardless of how much actual space they take up on disk, the whole thing is expanded fully in memory in order to apply all the layers. (Which add 2 more but maps of the same size in memory).

Regards,
JPG

[Zacchaeus]

The general view seems to be that map sizes should also not be a great deal higher than 500Kb. However it is going to depend on how fast you and your player's connections speeds are to some extent.

[rob2e]

Also, when creating maps, what's best? 72 dpi, 150, 300? There's always that issue of loading in maps and then gridding them. Lots of "mathy" things to consider when exporting from say Campaign Cartographer 3+ and having to figure out stuff like 150 pixels per inch and I want my map to be 400 feet by 300 feet with 5' squares, and you carry the seven and add the carrot, blend, drink. I get crazy!

Is there a good formula so I can make all my maps consistent, good quality, but not too big in file size so as to have giant download times and make the token CRAWL when they're moved?

Appreciate any insight guys.

[Zacchaeus]

If you are using CC3+ then export your map as a bmp file. Click Save as, select BMP bitmap file and then go into the options. For the Maximum Image Dimensions enter figures which are a multiple of 100 (for 100dpi) or 50 (for 50dpi) of your map. So if your map is 120'x80' enter figures of 1200x800 or 600x400. Also make the Antialias 25%, check the boxes for Restrict to map border and Restrict to Map border. Now save the file. Once exported open the map in GIMP or Photoshop and export it from there as a jpg file with about 75% of the resolution of the original map. This will give you a map which is light on size, still be super quality and will give you a 5' grid in Fantasy Grounds (grid size 50px if you did 100dpi and 25px if you did 50dpi).

[rob2e]

If you are using CC3+ then export your map as a bmp file. Click Save as, select BMP bitmap file and then go into the options. For the Maximum Image Dimensions enter figures which are a multiple of 100 (for 100dpi) or 50 (for 50dpi) of your map. So if your map is 120'x80' enter figures of 1200x800 or 600x400. Also make the Antialias 25%, check the boxes for Restrict to map border and Restrict to Map border. Now save the file. Once exported open the map in GIMP or Photoshop and export it from there as a jpg file with about 75% of the resolution of the original map. This will give you a map which is light on size, still be super quality and will give you a 5' grid in Fantasy Grounds (grid size 100px if you did 100dpi and 50px if you did 50dpi).

Fantastic info THANX!!!

[damned]

....open the map in GIMP or Photoshop and export it from there as a jpg file with about 75% of the resolution of the original map....

Resolution is the numbers from teh previous line - you are exporting it at 75% jpg quality which keeps the resolution the same but smooths gradients much more aggressively reducing the finer details.
Id suggest you try exports as low as 40% jpg quality and you might find much bigger savings in size and still very usable maps :)

[Zacchaeus]

Sorry my wording was unclear. Damned is of course correct. :D

[Ken L]

I wish FG used blur when zoomed in rather than pixelization.

[Ken L]

Would a 4k by 4k blank, white image cause problems? It took a few second to load, though the file itself is under 200kb.
See here
https://imgur.com/ddvOHIb
I'm using it as a canvas for 100x100 40px squares.

[Zacchaeus]

No, it shouldn't. As Moon Wizard says above it's just on the 4k per side limit and well under budget in terms of size.

[Trenloe]

There are two different things to consider here:
1) Image dimensions. As M_W says above: "Regardless of how much actual space they take up on disk, the whole thing is expanded fully in memory in order to apply all the layers." The image dimensions affect size in FG's memory and amount of time it takes to open the image. The larger the dimensions the more time it will take to open and the more memory it will use. File size on disk has nothing to do with this aspect.
2) File size on disk. This effects the time it takes to share the image with players. The larger the file size, the longer it will take to transfer to each of the connected players. The image dimension itself doesn't effect image sharing time (other than a dimensionally larger image usually results in a larger file size).

[darrenan]

And I'm assuming that closing an Image window in FG does nothing to free up memory? Once the image is loaded, it's loaded, period, right? (I'm talking about the host here, not images shared with players).

[Zacchaeus]

I just tested it and when you open a map memory goes up and when you close it, it goes down again. Opening and closing a module full of maps doesn't affect memory at all.

[darrenan]

excellent, good to know!