As i step forward into the intended X-Worlds assets and features, i suddenly realize huge bytes could be "spared" by a simple code-adaptation.

Yup, this is about the movies and the heads nodding an almost YES and shaking slowly to puzzle me out on their status or intentions.

Mind you, i have actually made numerous angry/happy/neutral/trade/small for each and every last 39 races present -- AS png templates only, so far.
But, i figured why in heck would i really need to fix a whole bunch of 10 seconds worth of still images when i could simply add fancy animations(&/or-unanimated!) and symbols to sprinkle nicely looking stuff?
And yet, were those THAT much more important or strictly desirable for what their file sizes would endup being?

So, i started a few... compiled the avi, converted to bik, juggled with rates and still as a result, these new files of 1500kbs on average are always less than about 5 seconds of flashy things. Calculate all you want, at 39 times four types -- i'd worked on something like 65++MBs in total for the full set.

My question or rather my request should then be this...

1) Shouldn't we be able to take a simple still (as compressed png) and slug it right into the bik reserved lines? And the program would, somehow, react accordingly. Knowing a default line could have two type of files and recognize the alternatives.

2) 300 frames in a row for a full 10 second worth of animated symbols are definitely more stack-hungry than a still. Provided the premise is the very same and the image was purposely created in an obvious fashion. Ya know, something like Green & Red smilies. Knives and flowers, etc.

3) I understand the default/trade pics are actually used when there is no biks available. Thus, effectively loosing its initial state once trade screens must show us variations via movies. At the expense of cpu-clockings, though. I'd rather splash an image on, done. Fast, filling the contract.

How do i go about doing the above mod-wise?
Cuz, i'm just about ready to give up on making the whole sets and giving instructions to people on how to use rad tools, and make their own **smaller sized** biks out of given pictures. OR, if the option would be there, to edit some xml lines that would replace biks (default calls) with pngs.

- Zyxpsilon.