A customer encountered difficulties when trying to save a large assembly file in Solid Edge to their server. The saving process took an unusually long time (around 20 minutes) and eventually failed, suggesting saving the file locally instead. Despite deleting several large 3D scans from the assembly, the file size remained at 2.2 GB and continued to exhibit long save times.
SolutionSolid Edge files use Microsoft's Component Object Model (COM) structured storage format. This format does not automatically shrink or recover storage space once it has been allocated. Therefore, simply deleting parts from an assembly does not reduce the file size of the existing assembly file.
1. Perform a "Save As" Operation:
- Open the existing assembly in Solid Edge.
- Deleted any objects and entities not needed.
- Use the "Save As" function within Solid Edge to save the assembly to a new file. This operation rewrites only the necessary content to the new file, effectively reducing the file size.
Note: do not use the "Save As" function within Design Manager as this is a different save mechanism from the Solid Edge “Save As” and will not reduce the file size.
2. Manage Large Assembly Files:
- Keep the maximum Solid Edge file size below 2 GB to avoid issues with opening and saving.
- Organize large assemblies by using sub-assemblies and incorporating 3D scans as separate sub-assemblies. This modular approach helps manage file size and improves performance.
File Size Limit:
Solid Edge files have a maximum size limit of 2 GB. Exceeding this limit can cause problems with file operations.
Related Knowledge Base Articles:
- Solid Edge File Size Limit- https://support.sw.siemens.com/knowledge-base/PL8773067
- Unable to Open Large Assembly File in Solid Edge - https://support.sw.siemens.com/knowledge-base/PL8792052
By following these steps, users can effectively manage and reduce the size of their Solid Edge assembly files, ensuring smoother operation and avoiding save errors.