How to make huge map small?

[Yrogirg]

Imagine there is really huge map, that needs hundreds of megabytes in your computer memory and takes several minutes just to cross it. Is there a way to make it smaller (easier to computer to handle it) but to preserve all its features?

Maybe scaling somehow? Or you need to use less objects, change several small objects to one big object? Other ideas?

[Bambino]

If it is a symmetrical map then you can use the group function to group part of the map then rotate it X degrees. This uses much less space and is a more efficient way to make a map than just duplicating it then changing the X and Y coordinates.

[ts]

There are different optimisation ways and some things good for one optimisation task are bad for the other one.

If you want more performance and a nicer look:
• merge some bigger objects but make sure the structures you produce are not "too big" in the world, meaning you'd like to see almost the entire structure from your average tank view.

If you want more performance
• use level of details (LOD) to change structures on the fly, depending on their distance, nearer structures should be more detailed
• use quadstrips and tristrips in mesh structures
• compress the map file and host it using http

If you want a smaller file size
• do not use LOD
• do not use quadstrips and tristrips
• use groups, do not merge to be able to use groups as much as possible

Regarding LOD and tristrips you might want to search for modeltool and diconf.

[optic delusion]

saveworld -o
import it into wings3d at 10 percent scale
export it back to bzw