• Registered: 2022-06-13
  • Posts: 11

Topic: page not loading properly because of too many large images

As part of my exposition, I have created an image archive containing many large images. And while they load quite ok on my computer, other people using different browsers experience problems, with the page either not loading or loading extremely slowly, leading to an unsatisfactory experience. How can I rework the page to avoid this? Would reducing the size of the images help? Is it possible to reduce the size of all the images on the page at once? They are all the same size (width 1200 and height 800) and there is over 2000 of them. Also, I would like to keep the scale. But if I change the size of the images, they would appear smaller, right?

  • Registered: 2016-10-05
  • Posts: 114

Re: page not loading properly because of too many large images

Reducing the size of the tools will help, but resizing them before uploading will not help much. The RC rescales images so they are optimized for the size in which they appear in your exposition. The important thing is that this works both ways, so if you upload a low resolution image, but stretch the tool up to a large size in your exposition, it will still be big in size. Otherwise it may be necessary to break things up in separate pages.

We have had experimental expositions before that were pushing the limits, for example: https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/1283942/1354509. This exposition does not load on all computers, but given the experimental nature of the exposition, this was chosen to be a feature of it (by the journal editors and the authors). I think this is the trade-off you have to make: do you keep to the concept but accept that some people may not be able to view it, or do you compromise a bit so to enlarge the audience. Another option could be to make different variants, "light version"/"heavy version".

  • Registered: 2022-06-13
  • Posts: 11

Re: page not loading properly because of too many large images

Thank you! I decided to archive the page for the future (of more capable browsers and powerful devices) and create an alternative design instead. Reducing the size of the tools, I feel, would lead to a compromised result which I wouldn`t be happy with and would still not be loading fast enough to offer a satisfactory experience.

  • Registered: 2024-10-01
  • Posts: 5

Re: page not loading properly because of too many large images

Hello Casper,

I am happy to find Lenka's query because it touches on the main issue I have had to consider when building my exposition containing 325 video clips, images, text blocks and slideshows. I calculate about 25GBs worth of data.

Do I understand correctly that if I were to segment/distribute my media materials into several pages as opposed to just scattered into the main graphical exposition (let's say "the main loading page"), this total 25GB load is not 'felt' upon accessing the archive? I.e., if the main page as a graphical block only has 1GB and the other 24GBs are distributed into, say, 6 pages (each a block editor) of about 4GBs each, then the load time is just referent to the individual page 'weight' being accessed and loaded and not the entire 25GBs?

This brings other questions on size...
I would like to build a page with all 325 videos as a list view but with the videos as thumbnail sizes. Does this reduce the load time as opposed to having a larger video tool for each?

And if the same video (say, 200MB) appears twice or three times in different places: in the main graphical block and then in two different pages (block editors), does this increase the data volume because each instance counts and adds up to a total of 600MBs or do they work as proxies?

And does your suggestion of a "light version"/"heavy version" imply two separate expositions (each with a unique DOI?), or do you mean a light version for the mainframe (load page) and the heavy version for a separate page linked to within the same exposition?

Thank you!
Vanessa

  • Registered: 2016-10-05
  • Posts: 114

Re: page not loading properly because of too many large images

Hello,

There is a couple of factors that may be useful to know, to have a more accurate idea of what might be going on:
1. Video data is only loaded when playback starts, so there is no big difference between an image tool or a video tool.
2. All videos are transcoded, so the original size is reduced quite a bit.
3. This results in exposition size mostly depending on surface area of all the tools combined.
4. Reusing tools doesn't matter so much, in general, images are not really a big issue on non-mobile connections.
5. There have been expositions generated using software with many more tools (1437), but these do generate some problems on more modest computers. If accessibility for a diverse audience is important, it may be better to stay way below that. I think 300 does not sound so problematic. It would be nice to warn a visitor about the size of the exposition. So have default page that explains a little bit about what they are about to enter..

  • Registered: 2024-10-01
  • Posts: 5

Re: page not loading properly because of too many large images

Hello Casper,
I am relieved that the pages are loading fast with the amount of tools on each. It all makes sense the way you explained how the platform works. The exposition is looking beautiful and I am grateful for the flexibility and robustness of the RC. This is really great.
Thank you!
Vanessa