Ambrosia Garden Archive
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    • Optimum Plug-in Sizes

       EV Developer's Corner
      10 11 194
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      Hey,

      Im starting to experience frequent crashes in Resedit as my plug-in size grows. Its now roughly 10 megs, which i didnt think was that large. Resedit is running with over 100 megs of ram. Is there an optimum size plug ins should be kept as before they should be 'spliced' into seperate data and graphic plugs?

      thanks

      l e g i o n

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      The heart goes streight from sugar to coffee.

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      Resource files have a fair number of limits set on them, both in terms of size and in terms of number of resources. Generally, it's best to err on the side of multiple plug-ins, because breaking a plug-in into two parts never causes file corruption, but leaving it as one can. The EV Nova scenario in its final form is a good guideline to follow.

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      David Arthur
      (url="http://"http://davidarthur.evula.net/")davidarthur.evula.net(/url): MissionComputer and the Talon plug-in
      (url="http://"http://www.ev-nova.net/")EV-Nova.net(/url): There's no time like the future. | (url="http://"http://www.evula.com/")EVula's Lair(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.evula.com/survival_guide/")EV Nova Survival Guide(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.evula.org/")evula.org(/url)

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      Quote

      Originally posted by Legion:
      **Hey,

      Im starting to experience frequent crashes in Resedit as my plug-in size grows. Its now roughly 10 megs, which i didnt think was that large. Resedit is running with over 100 megs of ram. Is there an optimum size plug ins should be kept as before they should be 'spliced' into seperate data and graphic plugs?

      thanks

      l e g i o n

      **

      Don't forget that some people are still using dialup internet connections...

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      "The day microsoft makes something that doesn't suck will be the day they make vacuum cleaners." -White Lightning

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      I would aim to split the file every time i reach over the 7mb mark. That way people with dailups-me, can easily download parts. The only problem is getting everyone to download 3 to 5 parts off the download page...

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      "...For what we see now is only a shadow of things to come..."

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      Also, sometimes assigning too much memory to a program can make it choke. I have no clue why, but 100 MB is probably too much for Res-Edit.

      I discovered this while trying to get Galaxy's Edge to work on EVO. I'd increased EVO's memory to 75 MB or so, and it's meant to run on 15-30 MB. It took me and about 5 people here forever to figure out why it kept crashing on the startup even when I took the plug out.

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      Reciting back thier facts and numbers
      that don't make you smart
      There's much more to intelligence
      And thinking for yourself would be a start -Justin Sane

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      Quote

      Originally posted by Skyfox:
      **I would aim to split the file every time i reach over the 7mb mark. That way people with dailups-me, can easily download parts. The only problem is getting everyone to download 3 to 5 parts off the download page...

      **

      Well, if you stuffit them together in an archive or the like, you can have more than one file in a single stuffed or whatever file.

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      Quote

      Originally posted by mrxak:
      **Well, if you stuffit them together in an archive or the like, you can have more than one file in a single stuffed or whatever file.

      **

      But that's not the point. The point is that it is easier to download multiple files than one huge one over dialup (just in case you lose the connection).

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      "I've just had an apostrophe!"
      "I think you mean an epiphany."
      "Lightning has just struck my brain!"
      "Well, that must hurt!"

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      What I do is make the files different for different aspects, like Nova. For instance, a TC plug could have a Data file, Graphics File, a Sprites file, and a Titles file (not to mention movies)

      Then the user could download them one after the other (provided they're smart enough to know that a TC should have a graphics file). Then you could benefit the cable users by posting the whole kabootle in one file.

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      With: The stylish monster.
      I used to be sane, but then I got a 5th email address...

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      Well, some responses to things that have been mentioned here...

      I have experienced problems with large plug-in files -- they just won't load correctly. They're also a pain to work with in ResEdit, as it takes a long time to load and save. I'd take Mantaray's suggestion -- it's a very good one.

      An issue with plug-in size I've seen with recent inexperienced plug-in developers is that they tend to like to include resources from the original data files (be it EV, EVO, or EVN), even though they don't need to. It doesn't adversely affect the plug-in, but I'd rather play with a 10 mb plug-in than a 20 mb one.

      As far as downloading goes, aren't there programs that let you resume broken downloads? I thought IE for Mac did (at least last time I tried, there was limited support for that).

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      Mike Lee (Firebird)
      Visit Cymltaneous Solutions: (url="http://"http://cs.paching.com/")http://cs.paching.com/(/url)

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      As usual, another annoying comment from yours truly.

      Keeping small files goes hand-in-hand with keeping organized files. I've got the (erhrm) ships in one file and the (ahem) ships in another, and the worlds in one more. Means I can trouble-shoot much easier. And of course copying, saving, all the good stuff is easier.

      As to the downloads....I have been thinking muchly about optional packages. I've been getting new sound files together, and I feel that should be a seperate-and-optional package. If I did quicktime, I'd certainly seperate that as well.

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      "I know the stranger's name."
      Turandot

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      For all I know, every EV games that I have downloaded; each came in one compressed file and are obviously big in size, cause it's a game.

      The scenario plug-in I'm working on for EVO, I have split some of the data like music, sounds, titles, data and graphics. The data itself however, I will split that in 2 parts when I finish it. For the time being it's to my advantage to have it in one plug-in, makes it easier to edit.

      Besides, when I am ready to stuff all that scenario files, I will use an installer program and stuff that instead of just stuffing the scenario files themselves because what I wrote has been so far over 5Megs. Most of it is just coming from the graphics part of the scenario. The data itself is about 200k. Music and Sounds total up to about 775k. and the titles is about 300k.

      I am also going to be adding bonus and extra stuff in the installer program which will give the players an option to install them if they want to, even though they will still have to sort of download them anyways cause it's built into the installer, but at least when they unstuff the installer program they can always install the basic scenario.

      I think I may have digressed from the subject. I think a possible idea is for the addon to modify their download thingy a bit, have one download bar contain several links which relates to the plug-in.

      For example, lets say I make a TC called EVO Wars. The scenario is split into: EVOW Data 1, EVOW Data 2, EVOW Graphics, EVOW Titles, EVOW Music, and EVOW Sounds. That's a total of 5 plug-ins the person would have to install into their plug-ins folder.

      In a submit form, the person would do the normal usual stuff, browse in their HD and add it in the field, and type in the description. Now, this time the person can enter more fields in the submenu. In the submenu field, the person would browse their HD for the other plug-ins to add in. After all the field has been filled in and the submit button has been pressed. In the addons section, a bar called EVO Wars would have the description of the plug-in with the main link to the main plug-in as well a number of URL sublinks to download the other parts of the scenario.

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      Nosumus Fortiolis Quad Volimus
      I'm the only guy in the universe that can make horses laugh and cry.

      (This message has been edited by Coraxus (edited 09-12-2002).)

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