Project Speed Killers

[Dwight]

The question arose as to how large a project could be done in Archicad. Then it moved to what made a project large, apart from its physical area or volume.

I've been proposing that an idea called "complexity" overrules "size" as a determining factor for difficulty presented to the computer being used.

This is exemplified by the beginner who adds 10,000 tress to a site plan and can't understand the redraw time.

We also discussed layer and view management as ways to not tax the rendering of 2D and 3D views.

My question today is: "What have you discovered that kills project speed: redraw, 3D imaging, file saving, number of undos, WHAT?

Try and contribute something surprizing that you discovered.

[Laura Yanoviak]

The GS "Big Building Whitepaper" is good to consult regarding this issue. For instance, it states that "more than 200,000 polygons results in a big model", although it can handle up to 2 to 3 million. It also compares polygon counts of different objects with different settings such as "D1 Door" (80) vs. "D1 Door" with handle (1544) and "Man Hands in Pocket" (6396) and "Car 01" (5583) vs. a Bitmap of same (1). A detailed office chair can have up to 7433 polygons (as many as 1066 walls! -- this puts things in perspective). [OK, Dwight, just waiting on your comment regarding the man's hands and what they're doing in his pockets]

I've set all Doors to default with handles `None`, Basin taps are off, and Lamps and Trees have their 3D Symbols turned off. Objects to be used for 3D rendering only belong on their own layer (3D-Bits) or better yet in a MOD file.

Anyway, the Paper considers file size, layout book size, team size, etc. and some possible solutions for keeping the file size down (see below).

[Laura Yanoviak]

Link to said Paper:

www.archicadwiki.com/Big_Building_Whitepaper

[Dwight]

Laura wrote:
[OK, Dwight, just waiting on your comment regarding the man's hands and what they're doing in his pockets]

Now that you have lead me right to it: easy. He is pining for Archicad object
"Woman in Red Dress 65," who spurned him in favor of wooden, cigar-holding Kaw-Liga.


[We're in Denver again the first week of February and I'll actually have time to look you up this trip, if we don't get arrested like last time.]

[Dwight]

Right. I have trees with 70,000 polygons each, and there's a city block full of them. yikes. That is nothing, yet GS thinks it is big.

[Anonymous]

Its not a new thing, but maybe can help, if u minimize archicad window and put computer in a SLEEP MODE instead of hibernating or turning of you'll save much time on next working season, all RAM data will stay and u can go on with large project work in 2-3 sec.

[Link]

Laura wrote:
[OK, Dwight, just waiting on your comment regarding the man's hands and what they're doing in his pockets]

Does he have some polygons in his pockets or is he just happy to see me?

Cheers,
Link.

[Laura Yanoviak]

nice.

[__archiben]

Link wrote:
Does he have some polygons in his pockets or is he just happy to see me?

i wish i had your time mate!

[Link]

That's my old training trick for SEOs!

Cheers,
Link.