topic Module File Size in Documentation

Module File Size

Brett Brown — Tue, 30 May 2023 12:03:46 GMT

What should be the module file size of a line? 1300kb? is this right?
I have been wondering why my Detail module file sizes are so big. The full detail with hundreds of lines and fills is 1380kb. So why is the file size starting off so big? What could be causing this?
Doesn't change no matter what way I make the module either, publishing, saving from clipboard, or saving selection as a module.

Re: Module File Size

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 04:50:30 GMT

Brett,

Most of that size would be made up of attached libraries, layers etc.... all the thing that you put into your Prototype. Our empty Prototype drawing (V12) is 4627Kb.

Fills appear to be the most memory hungry element that you can add to a drawing from my experience.

Re: Module File Size

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 07:15:46 GMT

I'm not quite sure what you are asking. Is the comparison between a module of one line at 1300K and many lines/fills at 1380K? If so that does seem odd. Most modules I've seen are pretty small (4K to 200K) unless they've got lots of stuff in them. Is this true for all your modules?

Wayne, I think you are referring to PLN files. The modules only contain used attributes and so have very little overhead.

Re: Module File Size

Brett Brown — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 07:29:20 GMT

Hi Matthew, Yes many lines and fills is 1380kb, so I tested one line and that was 1300kb, just to see if it was fills making such a large file. I don't know why they are so large, even just one line. Most of the manufacture mod files that I download are under 50kb. I'm trying to save all my own similar ones thinking they should be that small. What's the process to making a small 2D detail mod file?

Re: Module File Size

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 07:40:51 GMT

Are you suing AC13? I haven't checked module sizes in that yet. Maybe the overhead has increased. I suppose another possibility is the block size on your hard drive. I don't recall how NTFS formats a really large drive. Do you have other file types that are smaller? Such as a small text file.

Re: Module File Size

Brett Brown — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 07:58:58 GMT

Yes AC 13, I have text files on hard drive at 4kb. All my published mod files ended up all around the 1300 to 1400kb. Do you think this is normal?
If I save them as an object file they are only about 35kb. Any disadvantages you see going the object way? You can just explode them if they have to be tweaked for that project.

Re: Module File Size

Barry Kelly — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 08:04:32 GMT

I just saved a line and the MOD file is only 37KB.
Are you sure you are saving it as a module and not a PLN?

Select the line, FILE menu > EXTERNAL CONTENT > SAVE SELECTION AS MODULE.

This will ensure just the line is saved as a module.
Using FILE > SAVE AS (MOD file type) will svae the whole PLN as a module.

Barry.

Re: Module File Size

Brett Brown — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 08:16:50 GMT

Yes Barry did exactly that way (and others) and one selected line saved using "save selection as module" came out as 1.3mb. My published mods were on Vista 64 (which were 1.3mb average). Now on Win 7 64 and new instal of 13 and seems nothing changed.

Re: Module File Size

Erika Epstein — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:16:01 GMT

I drew one line, selected just the line then
File>External Contentl>Save Selection as Module
and the module is 118KB.

Re: Module File Size

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:04:18 GMT

When you save the module, click the options button and check and see if compress file is checked.

Re: Module File Size

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:19:18 GMT

single line saved as mod file under external content in Archi13:

existing project compressed: 253 k bytes

new blank project compressed: 105 k bytes

new blank project uncompressed: 122 k bytes

Re: Module File Size

Brett Brown — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:47:39 GMT

I'm somewhat surprised at the varying size from 37kb up to 253kb. Must be not a simple process any more with saving modules.

All of you seem to be 32bit AC? Anybody using 13x64 could test please.

I have searched every where for information on modules and find nothing on what effects modules in general. Anybody from Graphisoft can explain in detail what effects module sizes now?

Saving as an object seems way easier at a fraction of the size, also no hotlinks to update.

Re: Module File Size

Anonymous — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:31:53 GMT

Brett wrote:
Saving as an object seems way easier at a fraction of the size, also no hotlinks to update.

But modules and library parts serve rather different purposes.