Large native Inventor Files in Navisworks

[josie.scherrer]

5 large native inventor assemblies in my current navisworks file. It takes well over a half hour to open this file. I have approximate 5 more of these large files that I need to append into my navisworks model but the file is getting to big. I am using a .nwf file and navisworks simulate. Any suggestions on options to change to optimize my file?

Thanks!

[dgorsman]

Is read and write cache files enabled?  ie. are you loading the source data every time or the NWC files?

Are parts changing frequently?  If not, then consider publishing the more static pieces in NWD format and using those.

Anything being pulled directly from Vault or other EDMS?  Or over a WAN or remote connection?  Ensure everything is accessed over the fastest possible connection (which may be a local copy).

Not sure about how duplicates are handled through loading Inventor files.  Ensure that you aren't loading multiple copies of the same objects when you only need one.

[josie.scherrer]

yes I have read and write cache files enabled. My parts are changing hourly so I feel like making a static file would leave the model too out of date. I was hoping there was something I could do in NW to make the .iam file work. I am pulling the files off our server with a WAN connection. We do not use vault or any file keeping programs. and I think saving a local file instead of using the file on the server would be the same as creating a static file.

Should I turn off read and write cache file?

Help?!?

Thanks!

[Patrick_Aps_9121 · Accepted solution]

To speed up things I would: Create a batch job that
1) Robocopies the Changed Inventor files locally on a computer with NW
2) Checkes if the NWC file is older than the corresponding IPT or IAM file and if so Deletes the NWC file
3) opens one by one the 5 NWFs that I have made (one per Assembly) and saves that Assembly to an NWD file (locally)
4) copies the NWD files to the server where everyone can read but only I can write
and I would schedule this every night or every hour or so.
Yes, your NWD will be out of date, but only by a day and you can do other job during the day.

[dgorsman]

Excellent synopsis.  We do something similar with a massive database-driven project.  I'd also sit with your IT and see if there is any WAN optimization they can assist with.