File size, Bimcloud (server) and PLN file

[AEismann]

Hi all,

We have quite big files on the Bim server, the are around 4GB, they get big after we hotlinked an IFC, and never deflated once we took the hotlinks off. when saving the PLN the files size is around 300 MB, does anyone knows how to deal with this issue ? we are having a lot of slow downs because of this. Thanks in advance.

[Christophe Fortineau]

Hello AEismann,

BimServer is called now BimCloud.
BimCloud migrates all model elements to editable elements for all the work team.
BimCloud is often heavier than the same project by a PLN file.

I've allready saved a PLN from the Teamwork BimCloud to :
- delete all unused views
- delete all unused attributes
- delete all unused documents
- delete all unused library parts

Then I've uploaded this cleaned PLN back to the BimCloud
The teamwork project's weight was divided by 3

Since when do you keep this project on your bimCloud without cleaning it ?

[AEismann]

Dear Christophe,

Thank you for your detailed answer.
To be clear about it we are using the downgraded version of the BimCloud. When you say the BimCloud is heavier you mean something like 300mb to 450. im talking about 300mb to 4000mb.

I did do this test yesterday, what you suggested, the file is maintained quite clean and saved locally and reloaded file size dropped from above 4GB to 450mb.

My questions are :
1. what data got erased moving from 4GB to 450mb ?
2. why do we need to save locally and re upload while this can be automatically done ?
3. are slowdowns and long upload time related to big vs small files ?
4. why do files get so big from the first place ? i noticed that happens with linking IFC's - until the point where we cannot work with hotlinked IFC's anymore because it does not remove all the data after deleting the IFC links.
5. should we actually re-upload models every now and then ?

Any suggestions how to tackle these ? I'm really disappointed with the reliability of archicad concerning these. thanks in advance.

Christophe wrote:
Hello AEismann,

BimServer is called now BimCloud.
BimCloud migrates all model elements to editable elements for all the work team.
BimCloud is often heavier than the same project by a PLN file.

I've allready saved a PLN from the Teamwork BimCloud to :
- delete all unused views
- delete all unused attributes
- delete all unused documents
- delete all unused library parts

Then I've uploaded this cleaned PLN back to the BimCloud
The teamwork project's weight was divided by 3

Since when do you keep this project on your bimCloud without cleaning it ?

[Noemi Balogh]

Hi AEismann,

Size of a Teamwork project will be always bigger than the same project in Solo. As soon as you share a project, additional information is attached - e.g. which users are joined, who is online, which user reserved which elements, etc. If you have users who rarely sends in the project, it also makes the size bigger, because BIMcloud Server needs to store that old status of the project, to stay consistent for these users as well. Another thing is, that when you delete a bigger amount of data from a project, it doesn't disappear immediately - ARCHICAD keeps these "data places" for future data.

What Christophe mentioned are all good ideas, and let me recommend some other:
- keep Embedded Library size 0 kb - store IFC related objects in a BIMcloud library,
- regularly Send & Receive with all users,
- Force leave long time inactive users from projects,
- Re-share projects after an Open & Repair when you feel that file size could be reduced.

Kind regards,

[Christophe Fortineau]

I find teamwork extremely reliable on the contrary !
Working on a pln or by teamwork does not deals with the same "work structure"
All this "work structure" to allow anyone to work on a same project means to prepare it before
BimCloud does this preparation and make a heavier file : YES

I have not understood all your questions (I'm french)
All my experience is just my personal experience
But there are my answers...
1. I prefer to understood that BimCloud change the "work structure" of your project. It is more like a data base than usual BIM model. I do not compare different ways of working.
2. Because it is more like a data base than a single BIM file. But probably that Graphisoft will improve BimCloud by this way.
3. If my teamwork project need to be clean since a long time (a lot of unused attributes) I usualy clean it by a pln cause I have seen that it is more efficient and I think it is about "the data base work structure"
4. I can not help you about this cause I do another teamwork project to place my ifc then I call them like module. By this way my main teamwork project keep light and reactiv. It's probably not the right way 😕
5. I think I should if I want to reorganize "the data base work structure"

"the data base work structure" : it is absolutly not a real denomination but just my personal vision.

[Christophe Fortineau]

nbalogh wrote:
What Christophe mentioned are all good ideas, and let me recommend some other:
- keep Embedded Library size 0 kb - store IFC related objects in a BIMcloud library,
- regularly Send & Receive with all users,
- Force leave long time inactive users from projects,
- Re-share projects after an Open & Repair when you feel that file size could be reduced.

Great ! Absolutly !
And if it's true, you can stop for "book everything" to ease the data processing

[AEismann]

Christophe, thank you so much for the detailed answers, i will check these and give an update in case i will have some conclusions. thanks.

Christophe wrote:

nbalogh wrote:
What Christophe mentioned are all good ideas, and let me recommend some other:
- keep Embedded Library size 0 kb - store IFC related objects in a BIMcloud library,
- regularly Send & Receive with all users,
- Force leave long time inactive users from projects,
- Re-share projects after an Open & Repair when you feel that file size could be reduced.
[/quote

Great ! Absolutly !
And if it's true, you can stop for "book everything" to ease the data processing