Unfrag.exe Vs Solidworks Inc.

[Mattywhiplash]

The official line Solidworks is taking on Unfrag.exe is that it doesn't support Unfrag and that any problems that arise from it's use are your own risk.

Has anyone actually had any problems with Unfrag. So far I haven't heard one bad storey. Is there a reason for Solidworks putting in that disclaimer or is it just legal mumbo jumbo?

Cheers,

Matthew Wypych
Mechanical Engineer
DCA Design International
UK

website

http://www.dca-design.com

 

[TheTick]

I thought Unfrag wasn't really available anymore, except through third-party archives.

I never had a problem with Unfrag. Lately, I've switched to EcoSqueeze by EcoCom. No problems, slightly better interface.

"Great ideas need landing gear as well as wings."--C. D. Jackson

http://www.EsoxRepublic.com

 

[SBaugh]

Unfrag (as far as I know) doesn't do anything to SW04 files anymore (At least what I have found). I have tried using it and it didn't make a difference. So I think SW Incorporated this type of functionality into SW.

As for people having problems I have not met anyone that has had problems, but I have talked to some other VAR Tech support Technician's and they have had this happen to them.

The reason SW is saying this is because they didn't write the code and they are not responsible. I can see why too. I wouldn't want to be responsible for someone elses code.

EcoSqueeze is in the same boat as Unfrag is. SW isn't responsible for that code either - So both programs is a use at your own risk.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[mig26]

Check out this on the website of SolidWorks:

Unfrag – The use of Unfrag is not recommended by SolidWorks due to the fact the files could become corrupt during compression. The shadow will come back on the next save. The file size is not a key contributor to performance. With proper backups, it could be used on library parts.

http://www.solidworks.com/swexpress/pages/jan05/TT_AssemblyDrawingPerformance.html

 

[MadMango]

For more info, check the following threads.

thread559-97903
thread559-96652
thread559-22063

[green]"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."[/green]
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[macPT]

Hi all

Unfrag is still very useful for SW2004 (I don't know if this will be valid for SW2005). Even minutes ago I use to reduce a part file size from 6820kB to 3406kB!
No problem opening the file.

As a rule in my company, every file (part, assembly or drawing) is unfraged before "publication", on a server folder. I do this for years and never had any problem.

The only supposed problem about Unfrag (at least I've heard two persons complaining about this) is when you use Unfrag across the network.

So here is what we do: after the work is finished (a project) we copy the files to a local drive; Unfrag them; protect them against writing; open them with SW to check if tey are OK (we never know...); transfer them to server.

Regards

 

[SBaugh]

I am surprised that Unfrag works on your SW04 files. Because after SW04 was out I noticed no difference in file sizes. SW did add some tools to help with this in SW04, but it was nothing like Unfrag or Ecosqueeze. SW still states that if you use these 3rd party apps then there is nothing that they will do to repair the file if it was corrupted with the 3rd party app and I can understand their point.

Most of the reason the files are so big is not because of SW, but rather Micro$oft. They add some many things to the file, that it grows out of control and there isn't much you can do about it other then using those compression tools, but they are risk so be careful.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP
3DVision Technologies

http://www.3dvisiontech.com

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376
faq559-716 - SW Fora Users

 

[mig26]

We use it for years on our local machines. As I am working on a standardisation departement (and therefore creating and maintaining our CAD library) we do it for each model when put on the server.

Up till now we had no problem.

Today I gave a demonstration to our IT manager. I selected just one folder on the server. Unfrag reduced a total 560MB in just 5 minutes!

He was amazed and went on searching for information about the program on the net....then he found above link on the SolidWorks website :-(

It is now hard to convince him to use it at night on the server (from the server, thanks for the tips ;-))

 

[TheTick]

Thread559-97903
This is a thread I started a while ago (Mad Mango listed it already, too). Look at Bradley's last post on July 30, 2004. A file actually uncorrupted by EcoSqueeze!

 

[Heckler]

Scott - is right about it being a Micro$oft issue. I remember when SWx 2000 came out. I had some excel files embedded in a drawing and it grew out of control....it was 150 MB. So we found the Unfrag utility on the net. But if my memory serves me right, the problem went away in 2001. But personally I have never had any files corrupted using the Unfrag utility.

Best Regards,

Heckler

"Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups" John Kenneth Galbraith

 

[mig26]

Check this out on the SolidWorks website > log in > troubleshooter > software > the problem is reductible > read 8th green arrow:

"Does this crash only happen with a particular document? If so, send it in. For big files, arrange for FTP, use Unfrag and zip the drawing with all of the referenced assemblies and parts. Use "File/Find references" to find and copy all the files that you need to send."

My colleague found this one

 

[Mattywhiplash]

Cheers guys.....

From what I have read and the research I have done it seems like the only risk is that a file may corrupt as the defragger is saving the file. And you play the same risk whenever you hit the save button in solidworks....fun huh?

Other things I've noticed:
Unfrag and Ecosqueeze work on SW2004. The biggest gains are made after development. If you mess with the file a lot adding and deleting a large number of files the size sky rockets up to for one example 32Mb. This file was defragged to 5Mb and then re-inflatted to 7Mb on reopening and saving.

Eqosqueeze seems to have a path length limit. I've tried defragging files hidden in the dark depths of our server and been told that there was no change in file size. I've then attacked them with Unfrag and got the usual results. Anythoughts?

While unfrag works, without some sort of garantee people wont use it on their files when large sums of tooling are being built off them....and fair enough too!

One last observation: If there is the risk of corruption during saving, surely having a smaller file reduces the risk of corruption as the file spends less time in transit. therefor, could unfrag be reducing the risk of corruption rather than the claims of Solidworks folk saying it's increasing them......Hmmmm

Cheers for all your help!

 

[dogarila]

I've used Unfrag for years on thousands of files, locally or on the network. Never had a single problems. Contrary to what Scott says it helps with SW2004 too. I haven't checked that yet on 2005.

Recently I had to send some files overseas, on CD. Initially the files fit on 3 CDs. After unfragging all I needed was 1 CD.

 

[ctopher]

I have not used unfrag, but no problems with Ecosqueeze on 2004.

Chris
Sr. Mechanical Designer, CAD