Part Family Load Times on Solidworks 2022

Hello

we have just moved to Solidworks 2022. We have recently been working under PDM.

The opening of the parts families is much longer than in 2021. Is this normal? Is there a trick to limit this opening time?

A big thank you to you for your advice

Hello;
Have you moved all of your files (and all configurations) to the 2022 version of Solidworks?
I'm thinking in particular of your libraries and all read-only files...

1 Like

Check your version of Excel (if still compatible with SW2022)
Otherwise save the room or AS with room family in new version. (CF@Maclane)
Look at the number of configurations, if >100 → too many configurations, it may lag.

1 Like

I haven't done anything special so far. I'm having the problem on files with part family... I didn't dare to open the assemblies with a family of parts that also use parts with families... So the advice is to extract everything once and re-archive?

Because you have changed your software version, Solidworks will always ask you to update any old files you open to your new version of Solidworks.
(See icon on the floppy disk on the main toolbar.)
So, yes, you need to convert (save) all your existing files to your new software version.
While this can be done "on the fly" for your writable components and assemblies (Current Projects), it should be done for each component or assembly classified as "Read-Only" (most often your component library).
This is even more true for the families of parts, you will have to rebuild them all and then save them under your new version of Solidworks.

And, as mentioned @sbadenis , make sure that your parts families open correctly with your current version of Office (excel).

Subsidiary question:
Is this the first time you've changed your version of Solidworks?
If so, the gap between Solidworks 2021 and 2022 is not very large.
However, be vigilant if some of your 3D components are older than 2018, some may have incompatibility on certain functions (generally sheet metal, and mechanically welded)

3 Likes

a big thank you for your answers to you and Denis. Have a nice day

1 Like

Hello

Since you have PDM, you can launch the conversion tool.
It's very good when it works (argh on the 2020 SP3.0).
You have to start this when no one is working by enslaving all the user PCs. And a master PC that manages conversions.
On the 2020 we were forced to make batches of files to convert because the tool crashed quite a bit and was very slow.
There is the possibility to choose if you want to edit a revision (or not) if you want to overwrite the latest version (personally I don't recommend it).
Once your database is converted via the tool, users do not have to extract/archive the files as soon as they open an old file. It's definitely worth doing this batch conversion if you're reusing a lot of designs. In any case, you have to do it on your recurring parts (screws, house standard...)

1 Like

Never use anything other than the SP5 :smiley:
Depending on the size of the database you have to make batches indeed, much more efficient than launching a big batch especially when it's SW that crashes (never had the utility crashed it seems to me since I do these conversions, on the other hand SW crashes along the way yes)

Thank you for your feedback.
A related question... my basic file with my configurations weighed 3000-4000 KB. I rebuilt all the configurations and I end up with a file at 270,000 KB.
Shouldn't I have rebuilt? How do I reduce my file size now? thank you for your help

Hello;

Yes, if rebuilding is good. On the other hand, I think you have saved your file with all your active configurations (green checkmark) or with the notion "Save to the brand":
https://help.solidworks.com/2020/french/SolidWorks/sldworks/c_Managing_Configuration_Data_Help.htm
You can try purging some data:
https://help.solidworks.com/2020/french/SolidWorks/sldworks/t_Purging_Configuration_Data.htm#xzb1450446639520

Be careful though, you should not confuse the size of the Solidworks files in use with their size indicated under Windows Explorer when it is closed (I'm talking about the file). The values indicated may vary by a factor of three (or more).

Kind regards.

1 Like

If you don't and a configuration isn't rebuilt.
If you open a lean assembly with this configuration, then it opens that part in resolved to rebuild it.
And yes, if a lot of config the part can be much heavier, on the other hand opens faster because no reconstruction to do.

2 Likes