Performance with Solidworks??

[jlemay]

Can anyone help me out??

I just started working for a company where an engineer is using Solidworks. This is my first time supporting this program, so I don't know too much about it. What I do know is for the longest time, he was using SolidWorks 2001 SP3.0 on an older Compaq Deskpro which used to run slow for him. Last week, we upgraded him to a Compaq Evo D300v which is a Pentium 4 1.7GHz with 640MB Ram.....we were all sure this would fix his problem, but he is still having performance issues. It is not the graphics card, because I have checked the compatibility with solidworks and I have the latest drivers(3DLabs Oxygen VX1). He is also running on Windows XP.....I do not know what else to try at this point.......he showed me an example of what was happening....even on a part with only 50 components, he goes to do a rebuild, and it takes minutes, usually slow enough to not allow him to work on anything else......Does the processor really get that hammered with simple requests, or could it be memory?? Any help would be greatly appreciated......thank you

 

[BBJT]

Never thought of the autobackup. You may have found it.

One question that may have been answered already above....Are the files local or on the network? BBJT CSWP

 

[DetroitPickles]

I asked him above if it was slow opening and closing to see if saving could be a problem.

The reason? If he has his system saving Edrawing info AND updating Mass Properties on save, that would casue some slow down for sure. I haven't tried to set my system to do that and have it autosave also. So, I don't know if autosave would save M.P. and EDraw info too....

What do you think?

Mr. Pickles

 

[brengine]

I have checked (experimented with) the "Save eDrawing" in the Save Dialog Box, and it definitely slows down saves but I don't recall it affecting Rebuilds on my machine either.

Ken

 

[JMulligan]

This was a great thread - many experts out there.

Since you've tried everything logical, here's a few more straws to grab at:
1. Try booting up without connecting to your network. Maybe something is going on in background.
2. Ask the VAR that sold you SolidWorks for help. Burn a CD and let them show you how the files run on their system.
Also ask them to take a look at your system and SolidWorks setup.
3. Ask Compaq for help.
4. Uninstall SolidWorks and Reinstall.

Please let us know if you solve this problem.

 

[SnowCrash]

MAGIC M$oft trick: (need smiley of magician pulling rabbit out of hat here)

Delete the C:/Windows/Prefetch/ files each time you start the computer. Its a WXP thing.
Disable you virus checker after you start the sytem and check your email. Clear out the temp files. Do not switch around when using Sworks.
Crashj 'worked for me, sort of' Johnson

 

[dhinners]

There is another possibility that might cause very slow rebuilds - circular in-context relationships. If you can afford the time, try COPYING your assembly and break all the in-context relationships between all the parts in your test copy. If you see a MAJOR improvement (i.e. rebuilds go from minutes to seconds) you may have found the problem.

Note: This is not the answer for your future, but may help debug the problem.

If there IS a significant difference, look for features with no relationship to part datum planes, and inconsistencies in sketch relations/converted edges.

Dave Hinners, CSWP

 

[Ian01]

I have a similar problem. I use a lot of parts in assemblies which a created from each other, Mainly using the Cavity tool for mould tools. However at a certain level SW wants to rebuild every single feature in every single part including parts that are not affected by a change or an addition. For example I am working with a 16 part assembly where it takes about 2 mins to drop in a new part. and approx' 15-20 mins to rebuild. I have just created a 6 view 2D drawing of the same assembly. The 2d Drawing did a rebuild(15-20mins) for each individual view in the drawing.
This problem was not on SW2001+, on seen now on 2003.

Solidworks support have no answer as yet, and neither have I, when I do I will post it.

One temp way round the problem is parasolid the assembly. the fallback being you lose your tree.

Good Luck

 

[JNR]

Try this - in fact everyone should do this even for home systems just doing email!!!

In XP. Settings - Control Panel - System - Advanced - Performance (visual effects, blah, blah ......). Turn OFF everything! - except maybe the last one which gives it the XP/Disney look rather than like Win 2000 and does not seem to be a problem.

Here's an example of why. You don't want your CPU constantly calculating such putridly mundane and worthless things as shadows for your mouse cursor!!!!

You will be amazed at the speed increase in everything. (However it may not entirely solve your problem but certainly did for us using SmarTeam PDM with Solidworks).

BTW: I do have an issue with Compaq. At the Las Vegas SW World Compaq provided brand new "state of the art" systems for the presentations. NONE of them would even read my CDROM of my presentation. Yet every other system I have tried it in, including two at home read it fine. We had to send it via my laptop through the internet!!! Now you may say I'm being unfair, but we tried HP's some time ago and they were slower than molasses. Why can't these "big names" just leave things standard instead of "customizing" the hardware, OS and stuff?!

A couple of other things - are you using any SpaceBalls or similar 3D pointing devices?

Do you ahve Lotus #$%^!!@ Notes running in background or anything else for that matter?

Lastly, there are graphics board issues even with apparently "approved" boards. You need to look carefully at the approval date and version of SW at that time. Sounds like it would pay you to buy a cheapy just to see if things change at all.

Also remember that to completely turn off software open GL, you may need to address it in both the graphics driver
for your board and in SolidWorks PLUS setting the slider bar to zero. On some early versions of SW, I seem to recall you had to reinstall SW to turn it off, but my memory may be bad there.