Handling big projects

[Marcel Cooper]

I am trying to use Archicad V28 to model an 29 home development with all it's infrastructure. This is meant to be BIM software so one file should contain al the data. However, with only 29 bungalows and garages, the file is becoming  so unwieldy that it takes 20 minutes to open and to save. We have top line graphic workstations and new gigabyte network connections to the server and checking task manager when opening/saving shows CPU, RAM, HDD and networks are bubbling along nicely at 25-30% so why does it take so long?

We were previously Microstation users and in 1986/1987 (yes, I am an old CAD user) I won the European Golden Mouse award for project visualisation when I modelled a site for 197 houses in full 3d (every brick & every tile a 3d object!) on the mind numbingling slow PCs we had then - but I couldn't contemplate doing the same thing now on Archicad V28 - what is going wrong?   

[CosminF]

I would take a look at this article: https://graphisoft.com/us/understanding-what-contributes-to-archicad-file-size

Also, in my most complex projects, I overcame similar issues, by hotlinking and simplifying complex elements (for example, a cylinder shape can be a good replacement size-wise for a sprinkler head, no need to see every tiny little intricacy of its geometry). Not to mention deleting superfluous elements from an architectural standpoint (rebars in beams, columns and slab - while I do understand this can be important from a fixing standpoint and you want to avoid hitting those, I found that importing them from IFC and can overload the archicad file.)

Also for the tiles example - i used a surface texture (image), properly scaled and aligned with the floor plan fill representation so they would match in both 2D and 3D and which I could properly annotate for construction.

[Marcel Cooper]

Thank you for considered advice. 

Our models include the essential items only - we couldn't even contemplate things like foundation reinforcement. All the house types and garages are hot linked in. We do our best to keep models clean, but in a site plan with 35 hot linked design type, there must inevitably be some duplicitous references.  

The tiles and brick reference was to what we had to do to achieve phot realism back in 86/87 and we certainly don't do it now - from what I recall, we have better ways of working by the early 90s.

[Lingwisyer]

Just to clarify, is this a Teamwork file?

[Marcel Cooper]

No, this isn't a Teamwork file and so the physical route for data transmission is direct from my top spec graphic workstation to the server through a certified gigabyte network. 

 I think is just that we are on the limits of what this software can handle and my worry is simply that if struggle to handle this small site of 29 homes, how will I manage with the next phase of 70 homes?

[Barry Kelly]

Were the hotlink files created in the same Archicad version as the main site plan?

If they are an older version I have see this cause slowdowns, as Archicad seems to be trying to 'convert' them into the newer version.

Barry.

[Lingwisyer]

Are you hotlinking MOD or PLN files? Are there many embedded objects in the source files?

[Laszlo Nagy]

There is a Hotlink Management - Workflow Guide on the Learn Portal, which details a few strategies of handling hotlink modules. Utilizing them can also help you with these performance issues, I believe.

[Barry Kelly]

Another tip (and this depends on how many different hotlink modules you have) is to have them all open in running Archicads.

Then the master file does not have to open and close the files in the background.

Of course the more Archicads you have open, the more RAM you will need.

Barry.

[martin-b]

Since you mentioned Hotlinks, these would be my first suspect. I've just spent tidying up a huge and extremely slow file that has used a lot of mod-hotlinks, which were not at all complicated at first sight, but they all exported with themselves a lot of attribute junk in form of weird Surfaces and their appended textures that somehow got into the file from some badly coded library objects from some product manufacturer who clearly didn't know much or care about filesize optimization.

Also, give PolyCount a try, if you haven't already. It will give you a good idea what are the heaviest parts of your 3D model and what you can optimize.

And as you said, Archicad is supposed to be a BIM software, but importing all the IFCs into your file is not the best idea if you care about performance.

[Lingwisyer]

Unless said junk was placed in the model and in the embedded library, they should not come through in a .MOD

[martin-b]

I agree, they "should not". But in my case, they did export to .mod.

I cleaned up my file, and yet the same junk kept popping up in it. Until I found out that the .mod files were exporting also their embedded libraries with non-placed objects that generated 150 surfaces with their own textures. A nightmare to clean in a large active teamwork project with nested modules...

[Lingwisyer]

The Embedded Library is always included. I generally try to avoid having things in the Embedded Library, if it feel likes something should go there, it should be going into the Project Library. Hopefully said object is not a Master GDL abuser, you'll never get rid of it...

[Marcel Cooper · Accepted solution]

OK - I am now back up and running reasonably well.

The root cause of the problem was that somebody managed to embed both an entire (2.4GB) reference folder and an enitre design file (wouldn't have thought this was possible) in the embedded library of several of the house types on a site of 29 units. This occurred in 3 different designs which were repeatedly attached to the site model as hotlinks.

The site model with all the superfluous data supplied by the hotlinks then reached the size of about 22GB which had the obvious consequence of making working on the file almost unbearably slow - it took over 25 minutes just to open it!

When I cleared the embedded folder and design file from the affected files and updated the hotlinks to the site model, the effect was to reduce the site model size from 22GB down to 0.7GB - a reduction in size of about 97%!

You will not be surprised to know that nobody in our design studio has yet owned up to embedding the folder and design file in the embedded library which has resounded to a choir of " well I didn't do it" and "nor did I" - could be this year's Christmas No.1 hit if we could get reindeer and Santa into the chorus!

Once again, a huge thank you to you all for your support, enthusiasm and suggestions!