Slow regeneration or loading

[Silver92b]

We had decided to migrate from Pro Engineer to Solid works and started implementing the move. We just started using Solid Works and we noticed that complicated solid models with large numbers of features (a hollow cylinder with 240 holes w/c-bores) take an unusually long time to load or regenerate compared to ProE. This is very disturbing and we are wondering if we've made a mistake by changing from ProE. Could there be some solution for this issue?

Thanks

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

How long is "an unusually long time".

A quick test on my home computer using a hollow tube with a c'bored hole patterned radially and then linearly (240 holes total) resulted in an opening time of about 2 seconds and a regen of features (CTRL-Q) of about 6 seconds.
My machine is a P4, 2.4GHz, 1MB Ram, ATI radeon card (non-certified), SW2006, SP4.1.

What are your system specs?

Are you working locally or over a network?

Are you using a PDM system?


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

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Selecting the Geometry Pattern option when doing a pattern feature can dramatically reduce regen times. When unselected, my model took about 24 seconds to regen.


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

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

I'm curious ... Why did you decide to upgrade to SW and which version of Pro/E are you migrating from?


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

 

[Theophilus]

Ha, ha, ha!

Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe trumps reason.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Ahhh, hi Jeff ... I was begining to think I was the only one who could see this thread ... or maybe just being this ignored.


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

 

[Silver92b]

We have P4 2 GHz machines with 1 GB memory. Our graphics cards are Nvidia Quadro4 980 XGL withe the latest drivers.
We decided to try Solidworks for cost savings. ProE is rather expensive, the maintenance cost alone is over 50% of the cost of the Solidworks seat including training and maintenance.
We were very motivated to make this work. We still would like to find a way to make this software work for us so we'll try your suggestions and input. So far we think that the graphics engine of ProE is just much faster than Solidworks.
What we did was to model the same part we had in ProE with Solidworks, then we created a drawing (this was done by the reseller's expert). After we loaded Solidworks in our machines we were able to compare directly the performance of both programs with similar files. We only did this because we noticed long waits while the drawing and solid geometry loaded in our screens. Solidworks takes 5 to 10 times longer than ProE to load these files. Then we modified the solid models in similar ways and measured the time to regenerate the parts. In this case it took about 15 times longer to regenerate the parts with Solidworks than with ProE.
The part in question is basically a tube, 18" OD x about .75 wall. It has some holes patterned on each side of the tube, some shallow channels about 1.00 wide equally spaced. In each of these channels there are 40 holes eually spaced around the outside wall with counterbores. The original part had 6 channels with the holes and the modified part was made longer so it could have 10 channels with the 40 holes per channel.
After the modification it took ProE about 10 seconds to regen, and Solidworks about 1.5 minutes... Perhaps there are some tricks or settings that we don't know to accelerate the Solidworks performance. We'd sure like to find a way to make it work for us.

Thanks

 

[J-C]

Try Tools/Options/Performance and make sure that "Verification on Rebuild" is unchecked.

Jason

UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2006 SP4.0 on WinXP SP2

 

[Silver92b]

"Selecting the Geometry Pattern option when doing a pattern feature can dramatically reduce regen times. When unselected, my model took about 24 seconds to regen."

OK, we tried this but we did not get any noticeable improvememt. We are not working over a network or using PDM. Another issue of speed involves the hourglass that appears each time we spin, zoom or pan the part while in hidden line visible or hidden lines removed state. The hourglass appears for several seconds each time we manipulate the geometry while it changes from wireframe to whatever state we are working with, we do not experience this phenomenom with ProE...

 

[Silver92b]

"Try Tools/Options/Performance and make sure that "Verification on Rebuild" is unchecked."
Thanks Jason, I just checked that and it's as you suggest....

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

You mention you are using the latest drivers for your card. The latest from the nVidia aren't necessarily the best for SW. Assuming you are running SW06, the SW certified driver for your card is 6.14.10.7756, is that the one you are using? It probably wouldn't make a difference to the regen speed, but you never know.

As I mentioned before, using the Geometry Pattern option often helps.

If you can post the part for others here to download, (see faq559-1177) we could give you comparitive load & regen times on different systems. Also we may be able to offer alternate ways of creating the features to better suit SW.


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

 

[Silver92b]

Can't remeber the exact driver, but it was the one specified as certified for SW... And no, it did not make any difference from the 3 year old driver I was using before. Thanks for the tip about

http://www.eng-tips.com/faqs.cfm?fid=1177

I'll look at it first thiong Monday and post the files for download.

Thanks

 

[sg20]

I use both proE and SW and I don't notice any difference in terms of better performance between the two softwares; proE is more stable and SW has better graphics quality, and better view rotations using the middle mouse button. By optimizing softwares and techniques you can greatly improve the performance of each softwares.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Ooops ... I completely missed one of your posts;

OK, we tried this but we did not get any noticeable improvememt. We are not working over a network or using PDM. Another issue of speed involves the hourglass that appears each time we spin, zoom or pan the part while in hidden line visible or hidden lines removed state. The hourglass appears for several seconds each time we manipulate the geometry while it changes from wireframe to whatever state we are working with, we do not experience this phenomenom with ProE...

It sounds like an unwanted process is running when you are using SW. Have the task manager running before starting SW & watch to see what processes start along with it.
Do you have any SW "add-ins" selected to be started when SW is opened? To save resources, it usually pays to start the add-ins only when needed.

Do you get the hourglass problem when using the shaded modes?


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

 

[Silver92b]

Thanks for the input SG20, unfortunately our experience (there are tow of us engineers) is 180 degrees from yours except for stability (I don't know how stable SW is). The graphic qualities of speed and aesthetics of ProE are quite superior to SW in our present configurations. As I originally stated, the regen times are 5~10 faster with ProE and actually the rotation, zooming and panning are also better with ProE.
We are extremely motivated to make SW work. However, we cannot ignore what we are experiencing. We've spokeb with our reseller about this. He suggested the driver upgrades. We've gotten some good suggestions from this forum about software configuration. Unfortunately these things have not helped. We are hoping that our reseller can come up with some good solutions. Otherwise we are in the uncomfortable position of telling our boss that we made a big mistake...

CorBlimeyLimey, Thanks for your input. we'll check ito the possibility of some process running. We do get the hourglass with the shaded modes but only at the very start while loading the part or after making a change to the geometry.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Silver ... Are you running Pro/E & SW on the same machine?

Do you switch the nVidia card "application settings" to match the CAD program being run?


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

 

[J-C]

Ok...I tried modeling something similar...round 18" diameter tube with a 3/4" wall thickness. I put in a 1/4" bolt hole with a c'bore. I then linear patterned it down 10x....then circular patterned it 30x for a total of 300 holes.

My computer specs:
P4 2.4ghz
1gb ram
nvidia geforce 6800gt video
WinXp sp2
Solidworks 2007 PR1

With the "Geometry Pattern" option checked (default)...it took 26.86 seconds to rebuild. With the geometry pattern option unchecked, it took 2.59 seconds. Quite a difference.

"Geometry Pattern on"

"Geometry Pattern off"

Jason

UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2006 SP4.0 on WinXP SP2

 

[Silver92b]

Silver ... Are you running Pro/E & SW on the same machine?

Do you switch the nVidia card "application settings" to match the CAD program being run?

I did have the settings for SW in the video card. Yes, we are running both programs in the same machines. Tha's how we can A-B compare the programs....

Ok...I tried modeling something similar...round 18" diameter tube with a 3/4" wall thickness. I put in a 1/4" bolt hole with a c'bore. I then linear patterned it down 10x....then circular patterned it 30x for a total of 300 holes.

My computer specs:
P4 2.4ghz
1gb ram
nvidia geforce 6800gt video
WinXp sp2
Solidworks 2007 PR1

With the "Geometry Pattern" option checked (default)...it took 26.86 seconds to rebuild. With the geometry pattern option unchecked, it took 2.59 seconds. Quite a difference.

Jason, that model is very similar to what we made, we do have more features, but it's similar enough to compare. Your results are astonishing. As soon as I get back to work Monday, I'll try those settings. BTW, I thought we were supposed to run with the "Geometry Pattern" option checked for faster performance !?!?

BTW guys, thanks for your help. It's much appreciated.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Gildashard ... are you sure you have that right? Have they reversed the default (and option) in SW07? The default Geometry Pattern option on my machine SW06-SP4.1) is unchecked.

I just made a model using the same sizes & patterns as you and get the opposite results. Speed is much better when the GP is checked (7 secs) ... when unchecked it was 28 secs.


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

 

[J-C]

You guys are right....I got it totally backwards....guess its the weekend and my brain is screwed on backwards.

Jason

UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2006 SP4.0 on WinXP SP2