Understanding and Increasing Large Assembly

Understanding and Increasing Large
Assembly & Drawing Performance
Greg Jankowski
SolidWorks Corporation
Agenda
Review the following:
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Computer related
Data Management
Settings
Parts
Assemblies
Drawings
For additional references see the Technical Content
(best practices, presentations, API, Utilities, etc.) at
http://www.solidworks.com/pages/services/subscription/TechContent.html
Housekeeping
– Questions
– Using the Hands-on labs
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Large Assy/Drawing Management
Managing large assemblies can be a challenge
without some planning
Understand what truly affects performance and
interactively
There are many features, settings, and design
practices that will impact the overall performance of
your assemblies and drawings.
Understanding the impact of these features allows
you to make better informed decisions on design
practices and standards.
Goals
What is a large assembly or drawing?
Understand the actual vs. perceived bottlenecks
(interactivity)
Understand SolidWorks views on performance
Discuss the parts of the performance puzzle
Try it yourself
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Assembly Performance
Hardware
General Settings
Parts (sketches, ext refs,
level of detail)
Drawings (config’s, views,
Lightweight, Detachable)
Assemblies (mating,
configurations, lightweight)
Computer Related Topics
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PC Hardware
RAM – lots of it!!!!!!!!
CPU Speed (multi core)
Video Cards
Operating System
(type, setup, swap, service packs)
Raid and disk striping (Raid Level 0)
Network (Protocols, design, QOS)
Quality and type of hardware
64-bit and 3GB mode
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hwdev/platform/server/pae/PAEmem.mspx
System Maintenance
Windows – The sharp end of the stick…
Disk Defrag
Clear temp and backup files
SolidWorks is tested using the following anti-virus
applications:
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Norton Anti Virus 2005
McAfee Virus Scan 9
eTrust ezAntiVirus 2005
Alwil Software AVAST 4 (64 bit)
Exclude SolidWorks doc types
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System Maintenance
Disk Defragmenter
– You get what you pay for…
SolidWorks Express Tech Tip
Keeping your system safe and healthy
http://www.solidworks.com/swexpress/pages/sep05/TT_System_Maintenance.html
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SolidWorks Rx
Anti-Virus
Check-It Pro
Ace Utilities
RegistryFix
SolidWorks Support Tools
SWSysclean
– Perform common
system maintenance
SWCleanInstall
– Silently uninstall SolidWorks
versions Windows registry settings,
and Program directories
Where to get these files?
http://www.solidworks.com/pages/services/subscription/TechContent.html
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Data Management
Data Management
Use of a local workspace — A local workspace is a key to
performance. Open large files over a network will be slow
Collaborating over a network — Look into using a PDM
system. The file management and performance is enhanced with
the use of an application to perform these tasks. Manual file
management is error prone and wastes time.
Use of collaboration mode - When using files located on a
network, the only way to insure you have write access is to file
mark it for write access. Other users will see the file is read-only.
This is similar to check-out in a PDM system.
Additional references:
SolidWorks Express - Data management basics
SolidWorks Express - PDMWorks revision schemes
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SolidWorks Options
SolidWorks Settings
Why are they important?
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Display quality
Performance
Large Assembly Mode
Drawings
All defined under Tools / Options
Distributing Settings
– System Level (Copy Settings Wizard)
– Document Level (Templates)
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Lab
Open SolidWorks
Open a default Part, Assembly, and Drawing
– Click New icon
Follow the steps as shown
We are going to strip everything out…
Drawing Doc Properties
Activate the new drawing document
Tools\Options\Document Properties
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Part Doc Properties
Activate the new part document
Tools\Options\Document Properties
Assembly Doc Properties
Activate the new assembly document
Tools\Options\Document Properties
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System Options
Tools\Options\Document Properties
System Options
Tools\Options\Document Properties
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System Options
Tools\Options\Document Properties
System Options
Tools\Options\Document Properties
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Lab
Save templates (File\Save As)
– Assembly
– Drawing
– Part
Exit SolidWorks
Copy Setting Wizard
– General settings
– UI, keyboard, etc.
Lab
Save Settings
Re-Start SolidWorks
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Parts
Modeling Techniques
Only model the level of detailed
required
– Example: Do not model threads
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Part Performance
Avoid using text for features
Minimize un-necessary detail
Modeling Techniques
Helices – representations only
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Modeling Techniques
Try Geometry pattern FIRST
Errors
Always resolve rebuild errors
Always resolve import errors
Always resolve assy mate errors
Understand assy mate warnings
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Statistics
Use of Feature, Assembly, and Drawing Statistics
Assemblies
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Assembly Performance
Lightweight Components and Sub-Assemblies
Save As Part
Configurations
Mating
Sub-Assemblies (Assembly structure)
Skeletons
Lightweight Assemblies
Improved in SolidWorks 2006 (why and how)
What can be done with LW
•Add/remove mates
•Interference detection
•Edge/face/component selection
•Collision detection
•Assembly features
•Annotations
•Measure
•Dimensions
•Section properties
•Assembly reference geometry
•Mass properties
•Section views
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Assembly Configurations
Assembly configurations control:
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Part level configurations
Part suppression
Part visibility
Suppression state of mates
Modification of assembly features
Configuration specific properties
Values of distance & angle mates
Use face names to swap parts
Only show what you need to work on
Configurations
Open the assembly to a configuration!
Have a Blank or Empty configuration
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Creating the configurations
Use of Advanced Selection
– No fasteners
– Interior detail
Use Simplify Assembly (SolidWorks Utilities )
– Create simplified assembly configuration
Assembly Structure
Easily control multiple part
configurations
Enable just a portion of the
design to worked
Flexible and fast
– Could be a 20 or 20000
component assy
– Solves with min mates
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Lab
Open #HG 365-FULL.SLDASM
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Fully resolved (Config = Simple)
Close Assy
Re-Open LW (Config = Simple)
Close Assy
Open LW (Config = HG 365 GRINDER)
Using Skeletons
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Skeletons
Skeletons are simple sketches containing
2D geometry and reference geometry (i.e.,
axes, planes) that can be used to control the
position and size of assembly components.
These skeletons are comprised of simple
robust objects that can be controlled via a
design table for multiple configurations.
Allows for assembly components and part
features to be attached to simple, robust,
and named entities.
Example - Engine
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Drawings
5) Drawing Performance
Lightweight
Detachable (Rapid Draft)
Minimize what’s required
Other performance options
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Lightweight Drawings
Ability to add lightweight assemblies to a
drawing
These can be set to resolved at any time
SolidWorks will resolve as necessary
Detachable Drawings
Replaces Rapid Draft
Ability to save a drawing without the
documents attached
Save As Detached
Save As (convert back from detached)
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Drawing Performance
Use configurations to minimize un-necessary
detail in drawings
HLR 36s
HLR 19s
HLG 49s
HLG 24s
Drawing Performance
Use Multiple sheets
or separate drawings
Only update individual views
Use of section & detail views
Use Hide/Show Components
to hide internal detail
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Lab
Open #HG 365-FULL.SLDDRW
Add a Top and Right side view
Add an overall dimension
Implementation & Wrap-up
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How to implement
Document approach
Make it readily accessible (Engineering Intranet)
Communicate with users (internal user meetings)
Document templates
– Custom Properties
– Document level settings
Standard setting (via Copy Options Wizard or
Windows Registry file)
Conclusion……..
When dealing with large data sets, set out a
strategy before you start to model the parts and
assembling them .
Have an understanding about the approximate
size and make up of a typical data set.
Decide which tools and techniques you will utilize
to make your assembly as manageable as
possible.
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Conclusion……..
Large assembly management is a combination of
a number of smaller things that when combined,
can make a big difference.
The time to react is not when there are 15,000
parts in the assembly.
PLAN AHEAD !!
Questions?
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Thank you
Greg Jankowski
SolidWorks Corp.
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