large file size increase

[GodToldMeToDoIt]

A model I've been working on suddenly jumped from ~2MB to ~80MBs.

I narrowed down the geometry responsible for this, ran the various optimisations (scene and history), but they haven't really helped. This is not a complex piece of geometry; at least it doesn't look like it to me.

I've exported the geometry as "thing.fbx", which you can download if you're up for having a quick look (https://1drv.ms/u/s!AoMdsjpl5GuqmhX4x0Bja_PqAD2i?e=ik6zsj).

I've Googled, but I'm a noob to Maya, so I'm not sure where to start tbh.

Any help appreciated.

[mspeer · Accepted solution]

Hi!

Here the file is only 40 MB, which is not that much for your scene.

You can...

a) apply a new material to all objects and run Optimize again

b) remove all unnecessary UV Sets from your objects, by using UV Editor ( I recommend to check your workflow, that should not happen)

This should get the scene down to < 20 MB.

c) use instancing instead of real geometry and you should be back to < 5 MB.

[GodToldMeToDoIt]

I tried assigning a basic shader to everything and optimising the scene, but it didn't help; still ~40MBs.

Next I loaded the UV editor; deleted the sets; re-ran the optimiser; saved; and file size increased ~200KB.

Gonna try using geometry instances next on the more complex bits.

Thanks for your suggestions so far.

[GodToldMeToDoIt]

So it wasn't the piece of geometry I uploaded earlier, it was actually the tiny little plugs, multiples of which added tens of megabytes to the scenes file size.

These are not complex objects, so I’m guessing it’s the result of something I’m doing wrong.

I know I'm asking for more time that I have the right to, but if someone could take a look at this plug and tell me why it's resulting in such a large file size, I'd be very grateful.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AoMdsjpl5Guqmh9aJRWLqk4WloI-?e=sC1708

[GodToldMeToDoIt]

Instanced geometry to the rescue.  Simplified the plug and instanced it.  Scene's now ~6MB.

Thanks for your help.

[mspeer]

Hi!

"I tried assigning a basic shader to everything and optimising the scene, but it didn't help; still ~40MBs"

- Yes, that's right, but you get rid of plenty of unnecessary shader group nodes.

"Next I loaded the UV editor; deleted the sets; re-ran the optimiser; saved; and file size increased ~200KB."

- You are definitely something doing wrong here.

1. Don't delete the UVs only , delete the UV Sets, only keep the base UV Set "map1". Use the UV Set Editor not the UV Editor for this.

2. Do this for ALL objects in the scene.

Optimize Scene size is not needed after this action.

The plug has repeating geometry and it is duplicated multiple times in the scene. Do this all with instances.

Also your last uploaded objects still has all those unnecessary UV Sets, so you did not delete them as suggested.

[GodToldMeToDoIt]

Entire scene's now down to ~3MB.

I don't understand where all these additional maps have come from tbh.

Obviously it's something I'm doing, but I've yet to look in to UV mapping (today's the first time I've opened the editor), so these maps are generated by something I'm going.

Say I'm playing around with different shaders, applying one, then another, adjusting properties, to get an idea of how I want things to look; would this process generate new maps?

[mspeer · Accepted solution]

Hi!

This happens for example if you combine 2 different meshes and the individual UV Sets will be kept.

For example, Mesh -> Combine -> Merge UV Sets: "No Merge" .

By this you can easily end up with thousands of UV Sets per object, so care with this setting.

[GodToldMeToDoIt]

That explains it

[GodToldMeToDoIt]

Far as I can see there's no emmidiately obvious way to spot instanced geometry.  Can it be converted to actual geometry after the fact?

I read about it, and my understanding of it is all child instances inherit their properties from the parent, however each child instance does have a unique transform node.

So why's the following happening?

In the outliner the 'plug' group contains the parent objects:

Reason I ask is becuse I'm planning on blowing this thing up when I learn how to.

Lots of little bits with their own trajectories....

[mspeer]

Hi!

I am not sure if I understand this question correct.

Every single instance can have it's own placement, animation or simulation as this is controlled by the transform node.

However if you want to break the meshes apart, you need individual geometry.

"Can it be converted to actual geometry after the fact?"

- Yes. Modify -> Convert Instance to object

[GodToldMeToDoIt]

Sorry, i didn't explain that very well.

In the capture above I'd clicked on one instance of an object.  The parent objects are in the 'plug' group.  I clicked on the one of the object instances in the 'plug1' group, and every instance of that object became selected.

I only seam to be able to individually select the groups of instanced objects.

[mspeer]

Hi!

This don't seem to be instances, but one single object.

Only if you select components other instances show a selection, because they all use the same mesh.

For further help, please provide a Maya scene-file.