DashaB Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 So I have this drawing file that has suddenly been growing larger and larger in size. There has not been enough information added to justify such a large increase: Any ideas? (will post more below, my description is too long) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DashaB Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 Now here's the kicker. If i take, for example, base7, which is 18.3MB, and i delete EVERYTHING out of it, run every single purge and audit you can think of, get rid of all layers, all styles, everything, the file is then 18.1 MB. Someone on the Autodesk forum looked into this file for me and said that there was hidden data in there, but i don't know how to get rid of it.. I have tried wblocking everything out, i tried using new files, i've tried just about everything that I could think of, then i looked stuff up online and tried all those things. Nothing will get my filesize down. Here is another fun fact: This same drawing has different file sizes depending on which version i save it down to: 2013: 28.3MB 2010: 28.4MB 2007: 23.5MB 2004: 18.5MB 2000: 190.4MB For now, I am sticking with saving down to 2004 for all my drawings, and that is helping a little bit, but I can't shake the feeling that my files are corrupt and that this problem just will not go away on its own. Other people in my company also have the same problem. These larger file sizes make it take longer to save (this particular file I am referencing takes 16 seconds to save on average) and basic commands like Copy and Paste can take up to 10 minutes per each (10 minutes to copy, 10 minutes to paste into another file). Running audit takes probably 15 minutes, if you're patient enough to wait it out. Please please help me figure out how to get rid of my "hidden" junk. Someone said I have AEC and DGN data, but I haven't been able to figure out how to get rid of this data. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 When you do a purge do you use the command line version with the dash in front of it? Do you purge Regapps first? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DashaB Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 I do -Purge regapps, then i do -purge all, then just to be safe i run a regular purge and an audit. I also frequently run the OVERKILL command to get rid of duplicate things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Do you use layer filters? Could it be a case of a bloated scalelist? Are xrefs attached? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DashaB Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 There are no xrefs attached, no layer filters, and the scale list is not a problem.. The line types, test styles, and total layers are all minimal, i've deleted all the hiddne objects, there are no hatches, no points, no wipeouts, no zero entities.. I've been looking into this problem for about 2 weeks now and the only help I've gotten from the Autodesk forums is that there might be AEC objects or DGN data in my file. If it's in the file, I don't know where it is and how to get rid of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 And where did these AEC objects and DGN data originate from? Are you sharing your drawings with others who then return them to you with information they have added? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 From the website of IMAGINiT Technologies Blog Support. How to remove the AEC proxy intelligence from your drawing file Are you are having trouble viewing an AEC objects because they were added to the drawing in a different version/platform of the Autodesk software here is what you can do to remove that AEC proxy intelligence so you can view the drawing file with all its objects. There are two methods to do this: 1) In the program that created it (like Architecture), use the Export To AutoCAD command to save the drawing for others to view. This is the recommended method. 2) Within AutoCAD, Enter EXPORTTOAUTOCAD (for 2009 and later version) at the command line or AECTOACAD (for Autodesk software 2010 and newer.) This will convert your drawing to a basic AutoCAD drawing by exploding the AEC objects Note: this explodes those objects so they will become AutoCAD Lines/Arc/Circles/etc. In doing this they will lose their smart properties when brought back into Architecture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DashaB Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 Here is how we usually work: We receive plans from an architect. We rename the file JobName_base1 and we take out everything we do not need, clean up the drawing, purge all the extra stuff and leave only basic structure (walls, columns, gridlines, etc). I think the AEC objects must have come from them. But it seems like in the previous versions of AutoCAD, when we set up these files, all those secret AEC objects would get deleted and the file size was never a problem, even for this same project. We never kept the AEC objects if there were any, we would explode them and purge out. In the file i am talking about specifically, none show up as AEC objects. I have tried asking the architect to do the EXPORTTOAUTOCAD command on their files before sending them to us to set up, but they pretty much blew me off. I am trying it on my problem file right now, but it's still processing haha.. Will let you know when it's done if it helped any or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 You may want to also read about importing Microstation DGN files into DWG files and consult with the person or persons who are providing you with drawings in this format. Tell them what you are experiencing and ask them to do what they can to minimize the file ballooning you are experiencing. http://exchange.autodesk.com/autocadlt/enu/online-help/ACDLT/2012/enu/pages/WS1a9193826455f5ff1f238a510d5d194df1-7fa9.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Don't you just love it when your firm is "collaborating" on a project with another firm and they won't do anything to help mitigate a problem of their own creation? Just like to tell them to go pound sand for a while. Why aren't you bringing their information in as an underlay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DashaB Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 You may want to also read about importing Microstation DGN files into DWG files and consult with the person or persons who are providing you with drawings in this format. Tell them what you are experiencing and ask them to do what they can to minimize the file ballooning you are experiencing. http://exchange.autodesk.com/autocadlt/enu/online-help/ACDLT/2012/enu/pages/WS1a9193826455f5ff1f238a510d5d194df1-7fa9.htm The architect is not directly using microstation, so if there are DGN files in the file they send to us, I am not sure where they came from. I don't even know 100% that there ARE any AEC files or DGN data in my drawing; That was the suggestion from someone on the AutoDesk forums after looking through my file: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-2013/ACAD-2013-Copy-and-Paste-hang-ups/td-p/3675606/page/2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DashaB Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 Don't you just love it when your firm is "collaborating" on a project with another firm and they won't do anything to help mitigate a problem of their own creation? Just like to tell them to go pound sand for a while. Haha if only i could.. P.S. the exporttoautocad command is still thinking... They told me that it was all of OUR blocks with hatches in it that cause the file bloating! And yet we barely have any hatches, and all the hatches get removed during the baseplan set-up process to minimize file size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DashaB Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 Why aren't you bringing their information in as an underlay? We bring in their data as an xref, if thats what you mean. Thats what the JobName_base1 is all about; we set up their files, then xref it into our drawing and work primarily in that. Thats why in the one screenprint i posted, there are so many versions - when they send us revised drawings, we set it up as base2, base3, etc.. That way, we can always go back and see what changed. But, please note that the file im having problems with is not our working file with our stuff in it; it is their base, which has no xrefs and no fancy stuff. If i can fix that file, then my working drawing will be faster! And problems solved. BTW EXPORTTOAUTOCAD just finished and the file size stayed the same.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 I was referring to DGNATTACH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DashaB Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 The files we receive are all .dwg files; we don't get anything directly from Microstation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 OK? So where did the DGN data come from? Never mind. It was something I misread. Then all we are talking about here are AEC objects and we are told the "other" firm isn't willing to help you out. Sounds like you are stuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DashaB Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 That is the mystery, isn't it? I don't even know for sure if there IS any DGN data attached. (i tried posting earlier with regards to this but my post had a hyperlink and will not show up until approved by a moderator) Essentially I had been trying to solve this problem for about 2 weeks now, and I posted about it on the AutoDesk forums. One of the people who was helping me looked at the actual file and he said the following: well, to understand what I have done: I deleted all objects from modelspace I ran _PURGE to clean the drawing as much as possible (including RegApp-purge) I ran command -EXPORTTOAUTOCAD, format 2010 I opened the previous exported version I saved that as DXF (127MB) I opend the DXF in an ascii-editor And the result is: there exists a lot of non-graphical AEC-objects (especially style-definitions that seems to be imported when the XRef's were bound, created with AutoCAD Architectural 2007, at least I think so). Additionally there were some DGN's inserted? I'm not sure about that but there are a lot of DGN-phrases in the nonsense-DXF that look like filename-extensions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 I'm quickly running out of ideas but I did just come across this... http://www.cadforum.cz/cadforum_en/qaID.asp?tip=5296 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DashaB Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 Command: DELPROXY No proxy objects in this drawing. I.. Don't know what else to do. Because I discovered this problem, for some reason that makes me responsible for fixing it for my entire company. I've become really frustrated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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