Memory usage

[Bidmaron]

Well, Zaccaeus, modern OSs use virtual memory, so while that is (mostly) true that memory allocated remains with the app, the OS will roll out memory segments to disk as applications come into and out of an active execution thread. Further, applications can request a 'pack-out' of unused memory to free up space, and most OSs can direct an application to do this pack-out if resource contraints demand it (now I don't know enough about Windows to know whether that is a command or a request). From a security standpoint, I suspect that (to address Andraax's point) the OS wipes RAM when it rolls it out to disk before handing it over to the app coming into an active execution thread, but I'll bet they don't do it on disk due to the performance hit of essentially writing everything to disk twice (once to put it there and a second time to erase it after taking it back out).

[Patou]

As an aside - the usual community consensus of image file size recommendations is 1MB or below, not 2MB. This is purely for speed of sharing with players, not the size the image takes in memory (this is based off the image resolution) - the larger the image file size is above 1MB in file size there is a bit of an exponential growth in file sharing speed. So, the recommendation is 1MB or less (the lower the better).

So if i understand correctly it's more meg size then pixel size? If i take gimp to export to jpeg at lets say down to 30% making something more to 1megs or less loading and/or unmasking should be faster?

The only other down side is the grid size. Having squares at what size is suggested? Using the FG adventure guild tool is sweet but the loading time after an adjusted image is killer....

Either you end up with a 15x15 square grid if squares are at 30meg. I'm currently DMing SKT and all maps are at 10feet grid size thus I'm making squares within squares. At what scale should i being doing this while getting everything to work? Grid size vs scale size vs meg size... "ouufff"

[Andraax]

File size impacts network transfer speed. Image resolution impacts memory usage of the host and clients. When saving from GIMP, use chroma quartered JPEG to get significant file size decreases without loss of visual quality.

[Patou]

File size impacts network transfer speed. Image resolution impacts memory usage of the host and clients. When saving from GIMP, use chroma quartered JPEG to get significant file size decreases without loss of visual quality.

chroma quartered? I would find that when exporting or saving as?

[Trenloe]

Grid size vs scale size vs meg size... "ouufff"

Remember 2 things first (as has been posted in many places on these forums):
1) Keep image file size below 1MB - this directly affects sharing speed with the players.
2) Keep image resolution below 2048x2048 - this impacts FG memory use, time to open the image once shared, time to mask/unmask, etc..

So, your grid size question is indirectly answered by item #2 above - keep your images below 2048x2048 pixels and then draw the grid within that image size restriction. If you have a small map (only showing 200 ft. x 200 ft. or less) then you can do 50 pixels per 5 ft. square (= 2000 x 2000 pixels). 50 pixels is a good standard for FG - as it is a compromise between good quality and good map size.

If your map is larger than 200 ft. x 200 ft. then you can make smaller sized grid square, or you can split the larger map into smaller sized portions (each below 2048x2048 pixels).

[Andraax]

[Patou]

Remember 2 things first (as has been posted in many places on these forums):
1) Keep image file size below 1MB - this directly affects sharing speed with the players.
2) Keep image resolution below 2048x2048 - this impacts FG memory use, time to open the image once shared, time to mask/unmask, etc..

So, your grid size question is indirectly answered by item #2 above - keep your images below 2048x2048 pixels and then draw the grid within that image size restriction. If you have a small map (only showing 200 ft. x 200 ft. or less) then you can do 50 pixels per 5 ft. square (= 2000 x 2000 pixels). 50 pixels is a good standard for FG - as it is a compromise between good quality and good map size.

If your map is larger more than 200 ft. x 200 ft. then you can make smaller sized grid square, or you can split the larger map into smaller sized portions (each below 2048x2048 pixels).

Okay. I understand. I knew all this wasted already posted somewhere but I couldn't find it buddy

I'll try sectioning the map like similar maps done within modules.

I found that the details of the module maps for Grudd Haug lack detail and looked a bit smugged. I've actually purchased them from the cartographer online but i need to down scale them or break them up.

Thanks Trenloe

[Patou]

Cool.. i will try this out as well.

Thanks Andraax

[Zacchaeus]

Just be aware that the maps in SKT were originally the same maps that the cartographer provided to WotC. The result you see in SKT is that map scaled down to something approaching a workable size to be useable within FG. So once you have finished scaling the ones you bought down you might not see a great deal of difference.

[Patou]

Just be aware that the maps in SKT were originally the same maps that the cartographer provided to WotC. The result you see in SKT is that map scaled down to something approaching a workable size to be useable within FG. So once you have finished scaling the ones you bought down you might not see a great deal of difference.

Noted

I've tried a ton of stuff and I think there is no way around.

Thanks Zacchaeus