I just finished a heavy project for which I had to create 14 assemblies rather than just 1 with 14 configurations (in SolidWorks). Indeed, the configurations on a large assembly are a huge problem (maybe I'm the only one), the configs don't hold, when I open all my constraints and/or deletions are in bulk. In addition, to reduce the volume of bytes of these 14 assemblies (approx. 50MB/assembly) I tried speedpack, waoo! Not bad for the speed of opening But I realized that the volume of the speedpack file has seriously swelled, certainly due to the addition of a config and the management of the rendering in the assembly. So here I am with my 50MB assembly on which I have to make an MEP of 11 folios to detail the assembly, 11 folios = 11 times the assembly I don't know if it's the right calculation but every time I call the assembly in my drawing I inflate it by 50MB, 11 pages x 50MB = a MEP of 500 to 700MB approx. It's just madness, even though I have a war machine, the slightest recording can be very long (30min) even locally, not to mention the total storage space needed.
However, I need to have detail in my assembly, I work on electronic applications where we make the components appear 3D electronics, once the board is equipped with these components and its mechanics, we integrate it into a rack with ten little sisters, to which we add the wiring, the whole thing forms a rather nice but very heavy assembly.
If you have any work tips and/or tricks, I'm all for it. Thank you in advance.
Indeed I only do light assemblies, to improve the fluidity of the 3D I also work on a white background, shaded image, without shadows to reduce the demand on memory.
My observation is that during a design phase we don't always know where we are going, we try part shapes, more or less complex mechanical assemblies and when the product seems finished and conforms to our spec we have to produce FAST. Very well, but at this moment it is impossible for me to go back to the design to make coherent sub-assemblies, improve the constraints, simplify the parts... etc. We have to move quickly, and one of the risks is to break the previously validated design.
It even happened to me one day to create a WWTP of my part, I lost the construction shaft but I didn't break the overall design, I know it's rotten.
In fact, it is a question of starting the project well by taking into account the industrial structure of the product to be designed. Almost impossible in the study phase.
I also retain 1 folio = 1 plan for complex assemblies, I will try that on my next design.
For my part, I integrate cards from altium and it's always these cards that have a large volume. These are very large assemblies when you look at the number of components.
To simplify my life I register my cards in .parts to integrate them into "box" assemblies by specifying the external side and not the component.
When you draw a rack containing 10 cards in assembly format or 10 cards in pieces, you divide the weight of your assembly by 10.
This requires a bit of gymnastics because if one of the boards is modified it will of course have to be re-registered and replace the old model in the final assembly.
For your information I have a control machine made with all the cards in assembly that weighs 68MB when I replace my cards with parts I drop to 14MB.....