reducing file size
reducing file size
(OP)
Help I've had some negative feed back on the fie size that my drawing are getting. The are in the range of 18mb+. I am drawing in ACAD2000. The process that I follow is to draw the solid objects in 3D. Inserting blocks as needed. I used to insert as X-Refs But got flack for that because of the need to share these drawings. After my parts are fully drawn I move to Paper Space and use the SOLVIEW, SOLDRAW, command to get the requested hidden line 2d image.
By this point my drawing are huge and crash alot.The drawing are detailed but I think they should not be this big in file size...
Any Suggestions for a frustrated Cad User.???
By this point my drawing are huge and crash alot.The drawing are detailed but I think they should not be this big in file size...
Any Suggestions for a frustrated Cad User.???





RE: reducing file size
It seems you can't win. By sharing the drawings, I take it that you mean e-mailing to other people. Well, I do a lot of plant layout and the drawings would get huge if I didn't use X-refs. Maybe the people you send them to don't know as much about AutoCAD as you do and don't know what X-reffing is and won't admit to it. They may feel better with just one drawing but you see the result. 18 Meg!
Even zipping a drawing that size for e-mail is too big for most peoples mailbox. I would question the ones who gave you flak for X-refs.
You were doing it right in the first place, Dish.
RE: reducing file size
RE: reducing file size
I agree with the comments from haggis and jparker. Go back to using xrefs. Use e-transmit (used to be pack-n-go) to make sure that the transmittal contains everything needed. If the people you're sharing documents with don't understand xrefs, it's time they learned.
Maury
RE: reducing file size
I have often had to deal with 2D plant layout drawings I consider large (3-5 MB). In my experience it's often very simple things like using true type fonts and an excessive quantity of layers that exacerbate the problem.
You mentioned that you create 2D layouts of your 3D file and I assume these layouts are part of your single 18MB file. Would it help to make these layouts seperate files, so that you would have much smaller 2D files to send to those who dont need the 3D data.
I think binding the xref's would only make the file size even larger. I do bind the xref's on my own drawings but I also purge out any unnecessary layers beforehand.
I have also noticed that many plant layouts are built up by combining vendor supplied cad files into a complete plant layout drawing. This may save time initially but it certainly does make for enormous files. Better to edit the vendor drawings a little to weed out the unnecessary detail. You dont need to see every nut and bolt on a plant layout, save that for the mechanical details.
Best Regards
Adrian D.
RE: reducing file size
Another good point Adrian2 made was whittling down vendor drawings to use in a plant layout. Sounds like you do very similar work as I do. Good advice Adrin2
Haggis
RE: reducing file size
RE: reducing file size
RE: reducing file size
RE: reducing file size
But, the biggest saver for me is to use a block for ANY and ALL 3D objects that are used more than once.
RE: reducing file size
Create a lisp file called lfd.lsp and add this into it :
(defun c:LFD ()
(vl-Load-Com)
(vl-Catch-All-Apply '(lambda ()
(vla-Remove
(vla-GetExtensionDictionary
(vla-Get-Layers
(vla-Get-ActiveDocument
(vlax-Get-Acad-Object)))) "ACAD_LAYERFILTERS")))
(princ "\nAll layer filters have been deleted.")
(princ)
)
RE: reducing file size
JPARKER70 I have tried X-bind and then purged the heck out of it deleting as many layers as possible. But unfortunatly it doesn't drop the file size down substancially.
Maury The problem with PACK-AND-GO is that I'm still sending the entire file of 18 mb. PACK-AND-Go is great for sharing files (like transfreing them onto a cd ect.) but isn't the greatest for e-mailing.
Adrian2 I have extracted the 2D data out of the 3D model and copied the data into a new drawing. This in my experience has been the best method of reducing file size, but the drawback is it greatly increases the time I spend on a drawing. But since I'm getting paid hourly,Let them complain about file size until they start to complain about drawing time. (it never ends does it ???)
IFRs I guess that my next step is to try out the ISAVEPERCENT variable
Thanks all for the tips and keep them comming
RE: reducing file size
I really got the files to slim down. We were overlooking the layer filters!!!!
Thanks a bunch
RE: reducing file size
RE: reducing file size
ALso: I'm not sure if inserting a block 5 times is the same as inserting it once and copying it 4 times.
RE: reducing file size
RE: reducing file size