Since First Person Mode data is stored in the games data files, do you need to have the unit first person msh'es, and tga's in a msh/pc folder?

If you don't, it could really cut down on my file size.

I could be wrong, but I think you don't need the FPM files as long as you load a unit from the game files that uses the desired FPM mshs before you load your unit.

For example, if you have your own custom clone unit that uses the game's FPM tgas and mshs, you could just load "rep_inf_rifleman" from REP.lvl before you load your custom unit. This actually works for third-person mshs and tgas and even animation and odf files, too. I use it all the time to save space.

Ok, that would be great, one more question, does calling stuff in the LUA add filesize?
I know having extra stuff in a sides REQ does, but...

No. So long as it's reading from a stock side, the filesize doesn't increase.

The only thing that calling stuff in the LUA seems to do is make it take a little longer to load when you go to play the map. Small price to pay, in my opinion, because you can decrease the filesize drastically like that.

Actually just reading the answers and trying to get a FPM for the Zero-G makes me think that as long as you don't have and custom (retextured) FPMs it should be fine as they have their own directory in the games _LVL_PC directory. And I know if you want a custom FPM you have to put it in that directory. I could be wrong but it sounded good

That seems about right. I read on Fred's site a while back about other methods involving FPM stuff, but I never tried them because I couldn't wrap my mind around it then.

I deleted all of them, but my side isn't smaller.

Like the orep side for instance, the properties page for it's folder says:

Size: 29.9 MB (31,439,577 bytes)
Size on disk: 34.1 MB (35,848,192 bytes)

weird... or is it just me?

In _LVL_pc/SIDE its: 36,987 MB

In _BUILD/Sides/orep/MUNGED/PC there are no .texture files for the first person mshes.

The thing is AFAIK, the side size has not changed, yet the first person textures have been deleted, and as it should be, thusly aren't munging.

I've cleaned and manually cleaned, to get to this point, but the size isn't going down.

That's because FPM data isn't stored in the side file, AFAIK. It's stored in it's own lvl. Check the FPM's lvl file, and see if that changed.

As for the side itself, do have any unused/unneeded assets present in the side?

Ah your right, no Its just I must have got it in my head that first person was included in the main side lvl, and was thusly expecting it to be smaller.

So much for that Idea.

Thanks