Is there a way to prevent the game from loading a vanilla texture/prefab?

[. . .]

I just want to do it to see if I can get more performance by removing most stuff the game has to load as a test for myself to see what impact does all the textures and prefabs have on loading times for my poor hdd.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

[_zwb]

Theoretically you can modify the PREFABFILES table defined in prefablist.lua to prevent loading a prefab

[Wonderlarr]

On 6/8/2024 at 1:36 PM, . . . said:

I just want to do it to see if I can get more performance by removing most stuff the game has to load as a test for myself to see what impact does all the textures and prefabs have on loading times for my poor hdd.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Preventing it from loading would be quite the task, would deleting it instantly also work? You could do an AddPrefabPostInit("prefab", function(inst) inst:Remove() end)

[. . .]

On 6/10/2024 at 8:08 AM, _zwb said:

Theoretically you can modify the PREFABFILES table defined in prefablist.lua to prevent loading a prefab

thank you. i will hopefully attempt this soon and see if it can work

 

23 hours ago, Wonderlarr said:

Preventing it from loading would be quite the task, would deleting it instantly also work? You could do an AddPrefabPostInit("prefab", function(inst) inst:Remove() end)

i don't think deleting it would work because the whole point is to make the game not even add the prefab/assets to speed up the game's initial loading time and loading times to get into worlds. whether it actually would speed up loading times or not i don't 100% know but thats why i want to try it because when i use mods that are huge like uncompromising mode, cherry forest, ect. that add a looooot of stuff it increases loading times by a fair amount so i imagine the game's own assets being less for stuff i dont care for not loading would speed up the loading time if more stuff increases loading times

[Wonderlarr]

On 6/15/2024 at 8:49 PM, . . . said:

thank you. i will hopefully attempt this soon and see if it can work

 

i don't think deleting it would work because the whole point is to make the game not even add the prefab/assets to speed up the game's initial loading time and loading times to get into worlds. whether it actually would speed up loading times or not i don't 100% know but thats why i want to try it because when i use mods that are huge like uncompromising mode, cherry forest, ect. that add a looooot of stuff it increases loading times by a fair amount so i imagine the game's own assets being less for stuff i dont care for not loading would speed up the loading time if more stuff increases loading times

While the initial generation of the world would be the same, world loading is much much faster if there are fewer prefabs. You may wanna give it a try anyway.

[. . .]

On 6/10/2024 at 8:08 AM, _zwb said:

Theoretically you can modify the PREFABFILES table defined in prefablist.lua to prevent loading a prefab

Hey again! Sorry for a late reply, I finally want to get to trying this out and I realized something... I have no idea how to modify a table hahaha...

 

Would you happen to know how to do that by any chance to give me an example ?

[_zwb]

20 hours ago, . . . said:

Hey again! Sorry for a late reply, I finally want to get to trying this out and I realized something... I have no idea how to modify a table hahaha...

 

Would you happen to know how to do that by any chance to give me an example ?

RemoveByValue(PREFABFILES, "acorn")

This would be rather slow because RemoveByValue uses linear search

[. . .]

@_zwb

Thanks a lot that seemed to work for disabling the prefabs from loading completely as I was able to test and I did indeed get less (or a LOT less) loading time based on how many prefabs I removed even with my old HDD!

Another question if you know how I can do this too!

I'd like to prevent the game from loading skin assets to see if that would improve my loading time as well. Mostly the vanilla character skin assets because I exclusively play with mod characters

I see the "skin_assets.lua" file but the thing inside of it with all the assets is local is there a way I can remove stuff from that? Or heck can I just disable all skins from loading at all if possible by doing something to it? I'd do anything for more loading time because I can't get a better PC and DST is practically all I really play lol 

[_zwb]

On 7/28/2024 at 2:11 AM, . . . said:

I see the "skin_assets.lua" file but the thing inside of it with all the assets is local is there a way I can remove stuff from that? Or heck can I just disable all skins from loading at all if possible by doing something to it? I'd do anything for more loading time because I can't get a better PC and DST is practically all I really play lol

If you want to disable all skins:

local assets = require("skin_assets")
for i = 1, #assets do
	assets[i] = nil
end

Use at your own risk.

 

Also, the binary search method for preventing prefabs from loading:

local function BinarySearch(list, value)
    local low = 1
    local high = #list
    while low ~= high do
        local index = math.ceil((low + high) / 2)
        if list[index] > value then
            high = index -1
        elseif list[index] < value then
            low = index + 1
        else
            return index
        end
    end
end

local file_to_remove = {
    "abigail",
    "acorn,"
}

-- collecting indices first because binary search requires a sorted list, nil value holes will break that
local index_to_remove = {}
for _, prefab_file in pairs(file_to_remove) do
    local index = BinarySearch(PREFABFILES, prefab_file)
    if index then
        index_to_remove[#index_to_remove + 1] = index
    end
end

for _, index in pairs(index_to_remove) do
    PREFABFILES[index] = nil
end

On my device it takes less than a second to do this with 600 files so I really don't know how much of a difference this would make, you could check this by:

local t1 = GetTime()

-- insert code above

local t2 = GetTime()

print("Time to remove those files:", t2 - t1)

 

Edited July 30, 2024 by _zwb
code comment

[. . .]

On 7/29/2024 at 8:57 PM, _zwb said:

Also, the binary search method for preventing prefabs from loading:

Hey, I tried using this new technique, but it seems it crashes the game for me?

gamelogic.lua"]:432: attempt to index local 'world' (a nil value)

 

I don't know what I did wrong all I did was add a GLOBAL for the PREFABFILES then it doesn't crash and added the prefabs I want to remove, but if this is too much effort to fix that's fine I will use the old RemoveByValue because that seemed to help too even if it's costly.

Spoiler

local function BinarySearch(list, value)
    local low = 1
    local high = #list
    while low ~= high do
        local index = math.ceil((low + high) / 2)
        if list[index] > value then
            high = index -1
        elseif list[index] < value then
            low = index + 1
        else
            return index
        end
    end
end

local file_to_remove = {
	"antchovies",
	"antchovies_group",
	"diviningrod",
	"diviningrodbase",
	"migration_portal",
	"adventure_portal",
	"cotl_tabernacle",
	"archive_resonator",
	"scrapbook_notes",
	"scrapbook_page",
	"cookingrecipecard",
	"hats_lavaarena",
	"armor_lavaarena",
	"books_lavaarena",
	"hammer_mjolnir",
	"spear_gungnir",
	"spear_lance",
	"lavaarena",
	"lavaarena_abigail",
	"lavaarena_abigail_flower",
	"lavaarena_battlestandard",
	"lavaarena_beetletaur",
	"lavaarena_bernie",
	"lavaarena_blooms",
	"lavaarena_boarlord",
	"lavaarena_boaron",
	"lavaarena_boarrior",
	"lavaarena_center",
	"lavaarena_creature_spawn_fx",
	"lavaarena_crowdstand",
	"lavaarena_elemental",
	"lavaarena_eventstages",
	"lavaarena_firebomb",
	"lavaarena_floorgrate",
	"lavaarena_fossilizing",
	"lavaarena_groundlifts",
	"lavaarena_heavyblade",
	"lavaarena_lootbeacon",
	"lavaarena_lucy",
	"lavaarena_meteor",
	"lavaarena_network",
	"lavaarena_peghook",
	"lavaarena_portal",
	"lavaarena_rhinobuff",
	"lavaarena_rhinobumpfx",
	"lavaarena_rhinodrill",
	"lavaarena_snapper",
	"lavaarena_spawner",
	"lavaarena_trails",
	"lavaarena_turtillus",
	"quagmire",
	"quagmire_altar",
	"quagmire_altar_statue",
	"quagmire_beefalo",
	"quagmire_book_fertilizer",
	"quagmire_book_shadow",
	"quagmire_burnt_ingredients",
	"quagmire_casseroledish",
	"quagmire_coins",
	"quagmire_cooking_buff",
	"quagmire_crabtrap",
	"quagmire_crates",
	"quagmire_eventstages",
	"quagmire_evergreen",
	"quagmire_fern",
	"quagmire_fish",
	"quagmire_flour",
	"quagmire_food_burnt",
	"quagmire_foods",
	"quagmire_goatkid",
	"quagmire_goatmilk",
	"quagmire_goatmum",
	"quagmire_grill",
	"quagmire_hoe",
	"quagmire_key",
	"quagmire_lamp_post",
	"quagmire_mealingstone",
	"quagmire_mushrooms",
	"quagmire_mushroomstump",
	"quagmire_network",
	"quagmire_oldstructures",
	"quagmire_oven",
	"quagmire_parkspike",
	"quagmire_pebblecrab",
	"quagmire_plantables",
	"quagmire_plates",
	"quagmire_pond",
	"quagmire_portal",
	"quagmire_portal_key",
	"quagmire_pot",
	"quagmire_pot_hanger",
	"quagmire_safe",
	"quagmire_salt_rack",
	"quagmire_salts",
	"quagmire_sap",
	"quagmire_sapbucket",
	"quagmire_seedpackets",
	"quagmire_shadowwaxwell",
	"quagmire_slaughtertool",
	"quagmire_soil",
	"quagmire_spiceshrub",
	"quagmire_sugarwoodtree",
	"quagmire_swampig",
	"quagmire_swampig_house",
	"quagmire_swampigelder",
	"quagmire_syrup",
	"quagmire_traders"
}

-- collecting indices first because binary search requires a sorted list, nil value holes will break that
local index_to_remove = {}
for _, prefab_file in pairs(file_to_remove) do
    local index = BinarySearch(GLOBAL.PREFABFILES, prefab_file)
    if index then
        index_to_remove[#index_to_remove + 1] = index
    end
end

for _, index in pairs(index_to_remove) do
    GLOBAL.PREFABFILES[index] = nil
end

 

Edited July 31, 2024 by . . .

[_zwb]

3 hours ago, . . . said:

Hey, I tried using this new technique, but it seems it crashes the game for me?

gamelogic.lua"]:432: attempt to index local 'world' (a nil value)

 

I don't know what I did wrong all I did was add a GLOBAL for the PREFABFILES then it doesn't crash and added the prefabs I want to remove, but if this is too much effort to fix that's fine I will use the old RemoveByValue because that seemed to help too even if it's costly.

  Hide contents

local function BinarySearch(list, value)
    local low = 1
    local high = #list
    while low ~= high do
        local index = math.ceil((low + high) / 2)
        if list[index] > value then
            high = index -1
        elseif list[index] < value then
            low = index + 1
        else
            return index
        end
    end
end

local file_to_remove = {
	"antchovies",
	"antchovies_group",
	"diviningrod",
	"diviningrodbase",
	"migration_portal",
	"adventure_portal",
	"cotl_tabernacle",
	"archive_resonator",
	"scrapbook_notes",
	"scrapbook_page",
	"cookingrecipecard",
	"hats_lavaarena",
	"armor_lavaarena",
	"books_lavaarena",
	"hammer_mjolnir",
	"spear_gungnir",
	"spear_lance",
	"lavaarena",
	"lavaarena_abigail",
	"lavaarena_abigail_flower",
	"lavaarena_battlestandard",
	"lavaarena_beetletaur",
	"lavaarena_bernie",
	"lavaarena_blooms",
	"lavaarena_boarlord",
	"lavaarena_boaron",
	"lavaarena_boarrior",
	"lavaarena_center",
	"lavaarena_creature_spawn_fx",
	"lavaarena_crowdstand",
	"lavaarena_elemental",
	"lavaarena_eventstages",
	"lavaarena_firebomb",
	"lavaarena_floorgrate",
	"lavaarena_fossilizing",
	"lavaarena_groundlifts",
	"lavaarena_heavyblade",
	"lavaarena_lootbeacon",
	"lavaarena_lucy",
	"lavaarena_meteor",
	"lavaarena_network",
	"lavaarena_peghook",
	"lavaarena_portal",
	"lavaarena_rhinobuff",
	"lavaarena_rhinobumpfx",
	"lavaarena_rhinodrill",
	"lavaarena_snapper",
	"lavaarena_spawner",
	"lavaarena_trails",
	"lavaarena_turtillus",
	"quagmire",
	"quagmire_altar",
	"quagmire_altar_statue",
	"quagmire_beefalo",
	"quagmire_book_fertilizer",
	"quagmire_book_shadow",
	"quagmire_burnt_ingredients",
	"quagmire_casseroledish",
	"quagmire_coins",
	"quagmire_cooking_buff",
	"quagmire_crabtrap",
	"quagmire_crates",
	"quagmire_eventstages",
	"quagmire_evergreen",
	"quagmire_fern",
	"quagmire_fish",
	"quagmire_flour",
	"quagmire_food_burnt",
	"quagmire_foods",
	"quagmire_goatkid",
	"quagmire_goatmilk",
	"quagmire_goatmum",
	"quagmire_grill",
	"quagmire_hoe",
	"quagmire_key",
	"quagmire_lamp_post",
	"quagmire_mealingstone",
	"quagmire_mushrooms",
	"quagmire_mushroomstump",
	"quagmire_network",
	"quagmire_oldstructures",
	"quagmire_oven",
	"quagmire_parkspike",
	"quagmire_pebblecrab",
	"quagmire_plantables",
	"quagmire_plates",
	"quagmire_pond",
	"quagmire_portal",
	"quagmire_portal_key",
	"quagmire_pot",
	"quagmire_pot_hanger",
	"quagmire_safe",
	"quagmire_salt_rack",
	"quagmire_salts",
	"quagmire_sap",
	"quagmire_sapbucket",
	"quagmire_seedpackets",
	"quagmire_shadowwaxwell",
	"quagmire_slaughtertool",
	"quagmire_soil",
	"quagmire_spiceshrub",
	"quagmire_sugarwoodtree",
	"quagmire_swampig",
	"quagmire_swampig_house",
	"quagmire_swampigelder",
	"quagmire_syrup",
	"quagmire_traders"
}

-- collecting indices first because binary search requires a sorted list, nil value holes will break that
local index_to_remove = {}
for _, prefab_file in pairs(file_to_remove) do
    local index = BinarySearch(GLOBAL.PREFABFILES, prefab_file)
    if index then
        index_to_remove[#index_to_remove + 1] = index
    end
end

for _, index in pairs(index_to_remove) do
    GLOBAL.PREFABFILES[index] = nil
end

 

It seems like you must load files calling the function "event_server_data", I guess some C-side shenanigans is happening here

[. . .]

On 7/31/2024 at 9:02 PM, _zwb said:

It seems like you must load files calling the function "event_server_data", I guess some C-side shenanigans is happening here

Ya. it's very weird. I got rid of the one file in my mod calling that and the crash still happened.

It's fine though, thank you very much for all your help!

[_zwb]

4 minutes ago, . . . said:

Ya. it's very weird. I got rid of the one file in my mod calling that and the crash still happened.

are you sure there's only one file calling that?

[. . .]

Here's a quick mod I made it literally just has the code for removing the prefabs it gives the same crash. Idk if it's because I'm trying to remove event prefabs?

This is the crash

Spoiler

[00:03:03]: [string "scripts/gamelogic.lua"]:432: attempt to index local 'world' (a nil value)
LUA ERROR stack traceback:
scripts/gamelogic.lua:432 in (upvalue) PopulateWorld (Lua) <395-702>
   savedata = table: 000000000E0AF630
   profile = table: 000000004AE77040
   savedata_overrides = table: 000000000E9C6B20
   world = nil
scripts/gamelogic.lua:976 in (upvalue) DoInitGame (Lua) <859-1055>
   savedata = table: 000000000E0AF630
   profile = table: 000000004AE77040
   was_file_load = false
   options = table: 0000000032167170
   Levels = table: 000000004254D310
scripts/gamelogic.lua:1103 in () ? (Lua) <1099-1105>
   success = true
   world_table = table: 000000000E0AF630
=[C]:-1 in (method) SetPersistentStringInClusterSlot (C) <-1--1>
scripts/shardindex.lua:59 in () ? (Lua) <45-63>
   load_success = false
   str = 
   date_created = 1723063117
   data = return { created=1723063117, saved=1723063117 }
=[C]:-1 in (method) GetPersistentStringInClusterSlot (C) <-1--1>
scripts/shardindex.lua:65 in (method) WriteTimeFile (Lua) <43-69>
   self (valid:true) =
      valid = true
      slot = 1
      session_id = 76723DEAB55BC944
      ismaster = true
      version = 5
      server = table: 0000000032161770
      isdirty = false
      shard = Master
      enabled_mods = table: 0000000032166E00
      world = table: 0000000032161C20
   callback = function - scripts/gamelogic.lua:1099
   filename = shardindex_time
   onreadtimefile = function - scripts/shardindex.lua:45
scripts/shardindex.lua:328 in () ? (Lua) <327-329>
=[C]:-1 in (method) SetPersistentStringInClusterSlot (C) <-1--1>
scripts/shardindex.lua:31 in (method) Save (Lua) <19-41>
   self (valid:true) =
      valid = true
      slot = 1
      session_id = 76723DEAB55BC944
      ismaster = true
      version = 5
      server = table: 0000000032161770
      isdirty = false
      shard = Master
      enabled_mods = table: 0000000032166E00
      world = table: 0000000032161C20
   callback = function - scripts/shardindex.lua:327
   data = return {
  enabled_mods={ ["Disable prefabs from loading"]={ configuration_options={  }, enabled=true } },
  server={
    clan={ admin=false, id="", only=false },
    description="",
    encode_user_path=true,
    game_mode="survival",
    max_players=6,
    name="Test World",
    online_mode=false,
    password="",
    playstyle="survival",
    privacy_type=2,
    pvp=false,
    server_language="en",
    use_legacy_session_path=false 
  },
  session_id="76723DEAB55BC944",
  version=5,
  world={
    options={
      desc="The standard Don't Starve experience.",
      hideminimap=false,
      id="SURVIVAL_TOGETHER",
      location="forest",
      max_playlist_position=999,
      min_playlist_position=0,
      name="Survival",
      numrandom_set_pieces=4,
      override_level_string=false,
      overrides={
        alternatehunt="default",
        angrybees="default",
        antliontribute="default",
        autumn="default",
        bananabush_portalrate="default",
        basicresource_regrowth="none",
   [**truncated**]
   filename = shardindex
scripts/shardindex.lua:330 in () ? (Lua) <323-331>
   onsaved = function - scripts/shardindex.lua:327
=[C]:-1 in (method) SerializeWorldSession (C) <-1--1>
scripts/networking.lua:326 in (global) SerializeWorldSession (Lua) <325-327>
   data = local savedata = {}
local tablefunctions = {}
tablefunctions["world_network_fn"] = function()
return {persistdata={seasons={remainingdaysinseason=20,totaldaysinseason=40,season="autumn",elapseddaysinseason=0}}}
end
savedata["world_network"] = tablefunctions["world_network_fn"]()
tablefunctions["mods_fn"] = function()
return {["Disable prefabs from loading"]={active=true}}
end
savedata["mods"] = tablefunctions["mods_fn"]()
tablefunctions["meta_fn"] = function()
return {build_version="624447",level_id="SURVIVAL_TOGETHER",saveversion=5.151,build_date="2789",generated_on_saveversion=5.151,seed=1442021754,session_identifier="76723DEAB55BC944",build_time="13:59:39"}
end
savedata["meta"] = tablefunctions["meta_fn"]()
savedata["ents"] = {}
tablefunctions["ents_moon_al
[00:03:03]: [string "scripts/gamelogic.lua"]:432: attempt to index local 'world' (a nil value)
LUA ERROR stack traceback:
    scripts/gamelogic.lua:432 in (upvalue) PopulateWorld (Lua) <395-702>
    scripts/gamelogic.lua:976 in (upvalue) DoInitGame (Lua) <859-1055>
    scripts/gamelogic.lua:1103 in () ? (Lua) <1099-1105>
    =[C]:-1 in (method) SetPersistentStringInClusterSlot (C) <-1--1>
    scripts/shardindex.lua:59 in () ? (Lua) <45-63>
    =[C]:-1 in (method) GetPersistentStringInClusterSlot (C) <-1--1>
    scripts/shardindex.lua:65 in (method) WriteTimeFile (Lua) <43-69>
    scripts/shardindex.lua:328 in () ? (Lua) <327-329>
    =[C]:-1 in (method) SetPersistentStringInClusterSlot (C) <-1--1>
    scripts/shardindex.lua:31 in (method) Save (Lua) <19-41>
    scripts/shardindex.lua:330 in () ? (Lua) <323-331>
    =[C]:-1 in (method) SerializeWorldSession (C) <-1--1>
    scripts/networking.lua:326 in (global) SerializeWorldSession (Lua) <325-327>
    scripts/shardindex.lua:333 in (method) OnGenerateNewWorld (Lua) <322-334>
    scripts/gamelogic.lua:1123 in (field) cb (Lua) <1095-1125>
    scripts/screens/worldgenscreen.lua:146 in (method) OnUpdate (Lua) <124-155>
    scripts/frontend.lua:737 in (method) Update (Lua) <687-889>
    scripts/update.lua:95 in () ? (Lua) <33-138>

 

 

and here's the sample mod if you want to try it yourself

Disable prefabs from loading.zip

 

Also, I had no client mods enabled and no other mods enabled either. I tried generating a no-cave world and a world with caves and joining both type of worlds that already existed and the same crash occurred each time.

 

Edited August 7, 2024 by . . .

[_zwb]

Honestly I have no idea.