Ever Increasing Part File Size

[sdb999]

I've been creating standard drive pulleys using configurations to represent the number of teeth within a givin series. With each subsuequent file "save as" to create the next series the file size continued to grow. What started as a 950kb file is now 41mb! In one instance I deleted all configurations and the file actually got larger. Additionally I tested a 5mg file and did four successive saves. File size jumped to 9mb, 12mb, 18mb, 24mb. No other commands were performed in between saves. 24mb was the maximum, additional saves would not increase it. However a save as created a new file at 26mb. Any thoughts?

 

[APPENG]

There are a couple of things which might be happening to your files. The first would be the result of "shadowing", the term for the way in which Microsoft archives its files. When you save a file it could easily double in size OR SOMETIMES even be cut to half its size. This is not a predictable change; you can change your file just by repeated saves.

A file will stay between the high and low file size as it is archived (even if nothing else is changing in the file.

See the Microsoft Knowledge Base for further information.

Another explanation, but doesnt seem to be relevant to your case, which would account for a large change in file size, has to do with configurations. When a user uses many configurations in a session, SolidWorks may store multiple configuration bodies in the part file to increase performance when the file is used the next time it is brought up.

Shadowing is inherent in the way that Microsoft provides a "transacted access" (and I'm still not sure what that term means yet) to the file. For example: When saving a document, the new data does not become available until the change is committed. This ensures that the file is always consistent; it helps with error recovery and ensures that data is not lost or trampled from the existing good file. In addition, it helps avoid data corruption in the event of the software terminating unexpectedly, since the file has not been fully "committed." Shadowing also helps eliminate arising from "out of disc space" (again the file has not been fully committed). Finally, its helps prevent file corruption problems caused by network file server crashes while saving.

There are other ways to guard against this, such as a temp file method of file storage (This is not to be the same as SolidWorks autobackup/autorecover).

Shadowing offers these advantages over temp file commitment.


Temporary files may not be able to be created, due to folder permissions (shadowing only requires write access to the file). Remember temp files get opened in the same directory as the source component.. and imagine opening a part from a read-only folder..

Temporary files can't be used to replace the original file if it is opened (read-only) by other users, regardless of whether the read-only file was opened before or after the full write permission copy is used.

Temporary files can sometimes be unstable when a file is saved with one name, then resaved with a separate file name, especially when disk space is low, or the OS is temporarily unstable.


Regards,
Jon
jgbena@yahoo.com

 

[DesignSmith]

SDB,
The shadowing business asside, saving a file after activating another config, will bump up the file size 30-80% or so.
When you are done with all the configuration adding, activate the smallest or least complicated config, and then File Save As to a new folder. (when creating content to share, it is good to have a `working' folder and a `published' folder anyway)
The file should then be as small as it can be. It will grow with use, but not to the extent that you first saw.

DesignSmith

http://www.DesignSmith-Services.com

 

[dogarila]

SDB,

search the web for a freeware utility called "Unfrag.exe". I think it will greatly reduce your file size. Use it at your own risk. Solid Works doesn't support it. I have been using it with regularity for over two years without having the slightest problem.

 

[SBaugh]

See this thread on Unfrag - thread559-87953 - Unfrag doesn't do much for SW files anymore. Last time I tried running it, it done nothing in the way of decreasing the file size.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[APPENG]

Scott's right

Unfrag doesnt do a whole lot for SWX files lately. There is another utility called Ecosqueeze that has acheived better results. just know that if you use such a utility that you can possibly endanger your chances of recovering corrupt files. Give Ecosqueeze a try and see if it works for you. Like I said just beware of the possible consequences.



Regards,
Jon
jgbena@yahoo.com

 

[dogarila]

"Unfrag doesn't do much for SW files anymore. Last time I tried running it, it done nothing in the way of decreasing the file size."

"Unfrag doesnt do a whole lot for SWX files lately."

Are you guys talking about SW2004. I am still using 2003 and I find unfrag very helpful. Last time it removed about 150MB from a folder. The size of the folder, after unfrag is 377MB.

 

[SBaugh]

If you don't mention which version your using, then it is assumed that you are using SW04 or the latest version.

But to answer you - Yes we are talking about SW04.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376