What the HECK! Drawing 10x smaller in 2k3!?

I've an assembly we built in 2001+sp6 with ~350 parts, made up of 2 top level sub assys, which each contain a half dozen subs and several assorted parts, linear patterns, etc. These subs and parts are spread thru ~8 different folders on the network (numbering/file organization methods letfover from the old days)

We didn't want to switch from 2k1 to 2k3 in the middle of the project, it's now done, so the time has come. I loaded 2k3sp4 at home along side

2k1+, I used SWeXplorer to Copy the top level Assembly Drawing and all its children to a new folder- so nopw all the files of this assy are in one folder.

I recreated the assembly drawing, 4 sheets, 5 views, no dims, no notes other than what comes in on the Sheet- in 2001+ this file is over 35Mb, in 2003 it's 3.2Mb

Is this because all the files are in one folder, or is this someting wonderful about 2003?

Is the 2001+ drawing saved as RapidDraft? Is the 2003 drawing not RapidDraft? RapidDraft saves a lot of assembly data in the drawing file. This could explain the file size difference. Generally the files have gotten larger since more data is being saved in them, but there are some cases such as AutoCad 2004 where the file sizes have gotten smaller. The only reason is because the files aren't saving anything "new" and they figured out some new algorithms to make the same old data smaller. Right now, SolidWorks seems to be headed down the path of making files "independent" and they contain more info from their dependants. This will only result in larger files, but increased speed in accessing the data.

I think this could also be that you saved the 2001+ files more times than you did the 2003 file. Files store shadow data each time they are overwritten (saved). This is why programs like Ecocom exist... they strip out the shadow data. SolidWorks sometimes needs this historical data to troubleshoot files, so beware if you have trouble with either corrupt files or constant crashing. I use Ecocom occasionally and have never ran across a problem related to using it.

I did notice the assy's and sub assy's seemed slower to do whatever it is they do when saving, loading etc. Might be just because all the lower parts and stuff hadn't been updated and saved, etc. but the drawings, click, click, boom, complete, nice, pretty, no missing parts.

Don't get me started on the IT goons ;o)

Thanks

Thanks I'd seen reference to it here in the past, I'll go check it out.

I'll try the Save As too and report back...

JJ wrote:

I thought RapidDraft did the opposite of how you're describing it. Anyway no the 2001+ is not saved as RapidDraft, the 2003 may have been, if set by default, and I might not have noticed it.

I agree and have seen with the rest of what you're saying, I'll investigate the file some more when I go home at lunch.

Thanks for the reply.

Whit

Jeff Norfolk wrote:

Holy cow! "SaveAs" cut the size of the 2001+ file IN HALF!!!, I'm going to try it again later, see if I can eventually get it down to ~100kb :o)

I find that Save As, Unfrag or EcoSqueeze (in it's default mode) usually cuts the file size down by half. Pretty rare to see it go lower than that, although I think it has happened. Doing any of them more than once on a file shouldn't result in any reduction in size (unless you've done something in between to bloat its size again).

Jerry Steiger Tripod Data Systems

White,

Do a "Save As..." in SW2001 and let us know the file size. I bet it shrinks miles below the 35Mb it already is. :)

DWH