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Way to make SolidWorks Assemblies less time intensive
4

Way to make SolidWorks Assemblies less time intensive

Way to make SolidWorks Assemblies less time intensive

(OP)
I swear, this has got to be a FAQ, but I can't seem to find it.  I'm looking for rules or guidelines to make SolidWorks assemblies less time consuming (the load-up operation.)

RE: Way to make SolidWorks Assemblies less time intensive

Can you load them light weight?
When I am working on a big assembly for a long time I mostly never shut down the computer when I go home, so I never have to reload.
Crashj "one man, one mouse"

--
Hardie "Crashj" Johnson
SW 2005 SP 4.0 (reluctant to change)
Matrox Millenium G550
AMD Athalon 1.8 GHz 512 Meg RAM

RE: Way to make SolidWorks Assemblies less time intensive

(OP)
Please don't point me to: FAQ559-1094
There's gotta be more.

RE: Way to make SolidWorks Assemblies less time intensive

(OP)
SnowCrash:  it's not just the 'loading' - I mis-typed - it's also everything else as well.  Edit one component and the assembly ends up thinking for several minutes (maybe 10).

I'm starting (by the way) to develop some rules - 1 -only perform features on a part, unless absolutely necessary - (like a detail on a fastener)
2- reduce 'top level' mates by forming sub-assemblies  --that one's from the FAQ559-1094

More?  Anyone?  Please?

RE: Way to make SolidWorks Assemblies less time intensive

Overall, your best bet for large assemblies is to minimize the amount of detail in your individual parts.  In some cases, it may be a good idea to create a configuration with all the necessary detail, plus a simplified configuration with less detail.  You can then load your assembly with all the simplified configurations, saving memory and time.

RE: Way to make SolidWorks Assemblies less time intensive

(OP)
PDMAdmin:  If I create two configurations for a part, does SW load both configurations into memory?  Because if both configurations aren't loaded, this is a good solution - it may take time to create a memory expensive and a memory cheap configuration, but a good solution, nonetheless.

RE: Way to make SolidWorks Assemblies less time intensive

Yes and no.  Configurations have to be available within memory, but in the case of simplified parts, they specify which features are suppressed.  That way, you still get the memory savings by having the features suppressed, as well as improving rebuild and display time.

RE: Way to make SolidWorks Assemblies less time intensive

Have you adjusted the Performance and Large Assy Mode settings under Systems Options?
Also the Image Quality under Document Properties?

cheers
Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

RE: Way to make SolidWorks Assemblies less time intensive

(OP)
If the fastener (screw, spring washer, whatever) that an assembly uses 50 kagillion times is imported from an AutoCAD file and has too much detail, do these techtips work?

(I'll be using them regardless, just wondered if they worked on imported parts.)

RE: Way to make SolidWorks Assemblies less time intensive

I generally stuff my fasteners into a folder on the design tree.  Then I can suppress and unsupress them all at once.  The fasteners stay suppressed unless I want to check for clearance or interference or have a more realistic view to show or print.

Eric

RE: Way to make SolidWorks Assemblies less time intensive

I have a user group presentation on "efficient assemblies" if anyone is interested.  Lots of ideas, some already expressed here.

http://mysite.verizon.net/mjlombard/  go to the User Groups link

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