Create a small number of bitmap cast members and reuse these. Use QuickDraw objects from Director's tools window whenever possible.The standard that defines a Multimedia PC includes only 2 MB of RAM. Since the image portion of Director files must be loaded into memory to play, try to keep your movie files as small as possible (preferably under 500K). This will ensure, in most cases, that the entire sequence will fit in memory on the end-user's machine. Here are some ways to reduce the size of your movie files:
Create a small number of bitmap cast members and reuse these. Use QuickDraw objects from Director's tools window whenever possible.
Delete unused cast members; cast members not referenced in the score are still loaded into memory, thus wasting RAM and adding unnecessary load time. Use the Delete Unused Cast command.
The Movie Player includes an option to exclude unused cast members at
load time, but you need to write a custom movie player application to take advantage of this feature. Refer to the Programmer's Workbook for more information on limiting Movie Player memory usage.
Clean up the cast. The Clean Up Cast command eliminates empty cast member positions, slightly reducing the size of the movie file.
Use monochrome cast members where possible—change the color depth to one bit and set the foreground and background colors appropriately.
Rather than include sound cast members in the movie file, use MCI to play the audio where possible. This is particularly useful if several movies in your presentation use the same audio sequences.
It's a good idea to test your product on a Multimedia PC, and try running it alongside one or two other Windows applications. Assume that other programs will share the system memory. This will help you determine whether you've authored too large a movie.
The matte, white transparent, and mask inks require the creation of a monochrome version of the bitmap being drawn to the screen. This monochrome bitmap takes up additional memory space. The Not Transparent, Not Ghost, and Not Reverse inks can also require an extra monochrome bitmap.
Summary: Determining Movie Size
The movie file size is not a good indicator of the amount of space the movie will occupy when loaded into memory. The bitmaps in the movie file are compressed; when they are expanded, they occupy a great deal more space.
You can get a rough estimate of the movie memory size by looking at the “About MM Director” dialog box. Add the following values to estimate the memory size of the movie:
Screen buffer
Cast + score
Mattes