File sizes of scenes and subsets

asbrainiac_d0d9ea3447

I make a lot of custom characters in Daz using various morphs. I like to save these characters along with their hair and outfit as scene subsets so I can quickly pop them into a scene. I have a few questions, however:
1. Is there a better format than scene subset to save a character + hair + clothing? Other formats I've tried like character presets seem only to save the basic figure without the clothing.
2. What factors into the file size of scenes and subsets? I've noticed while browsing my various characters that some have small file sizes in the hundreds of kilobytes, while others balloon to hundreds of megabytes. I always try to save in a default/zeroed pose, plus I remove any dForce simulation before saving so the file doesn't have to remember the exact modifications. But that doesn't seem to be it. I have files with significant dForce usage that take a few megabytes and others with no dForce objects that take hundreds of megabytes. In some cases very similar characters with similar clothes have radically different file sizes. The only thing I can think is that maybe scene subsets fully incorporate textures and meshes used into their file data? I just assumed it was stored as a sort of shortcut to the file containing the actual data, so it wouldn't actually have to store each texture/mesh/etc within the scene subset file itself.

felis

If you somehow have modified an object, the scene subset will include the full object, i.e. if you are using an autofitted object.

Essentially you can open the scene subset file in a text editor and see the content.

crosswind

First of all, Compressed saved file and Uncompressed saved file are totally different in terms of File Size. If you use DS 4.20+, there's an option of "Compress File" in Save Options dialogue of each type of Preset / Subset...Dbl-check if you tick the option or not before comparing the File Size with the same benchmark...

As for Question 1: Technically, yes. Character Preset or Properties Preset will do, in which you need to configure Post-Load script to add Werables / Attachements. I showed how to do it in this thread - https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/663136/solved-character-preset-help. Pls be noted, that'll require some technique and take more time.

As for Question 2: Pls be noted there're more factors that may impact File Size of Scene / Scene Subset, except for Compression as above mentioned:
- any change (delta) you made to the objects' geometry in the scene but haven't saved them as Figure / Prop / Morph assets, e.g. imported morphs, updated geometry, results from dFormer, Push Modifier, Mesh Grabber, Geometry Editor... etc.
- any change you made to the objects' rigging, weight in the scene but haven't saved them as Figure / Prop assets, e.g. auto-fitted Wearables, tweaked weight maps on Joints, dForce Modifier Weight Node... etc.
- dForce results... esp. the simulated results on timeline which may significantly bring you big file size. But the extent depends on the polycounts of the dForced items and the delta change of vertex positions...
- keyframes on timeline, esp. when you save a Scene Subset, all keyframes will be saved.

well, as above, so on and so forth...