topic Exporting Large Assembly into a step file in Inventor Forum

Exporting Large Assembly into a step file

ATaha9THAF — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 14:07:40 GMT

Hi,

We are exporting a large assembly into a step file is approximately 373Mb and its currently been more than an hour since we started exporting. We already used simplify to reduce the file size and complexity as much as possible.

So my question is how long does it take to export something of that size? Is there anyway to definitively see that Inventor is frozen/working?

Additional Info:

Export Settings used:
- Application Protocol - 242 Managed Model Based 3D Engineering
-Spline Fit accuracy - 0.010mm

Re: Exporting Large Assembly into a step file

Frederick_Law — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 14:08:19 GMT

Hard to tell.

Let it run overnight.

I had STEP files I import overnight. Start it at the end of the day.

Mark the time you start and check file modified time after.

Re: Exporting Large Assembly into a step file

ATaha9THAF — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 14:58:06 GMT

@Frederick_Law wrote:

Mark the time you start and check file modified time after.

Can you expand on this

Nevermind just realized what you meant.

Re: Exporting Large Assembly into a step file

ATaha9THAF — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 15:00:09 GMT

At this point its been about 3 hours trying to export the file to me this seems like its frozen. But I would like confirmation before I end the task

Re: Exporting Large Assembly into a step file

Frederick_Law — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 15:17:06 GMT

Open Windows Task Manager.

See if IV cpu and memory use changes, also drive usage.

See if STEP file got created yet and if size is increasing.

It could be in some Temp folder.

Re: Exporting Large Assembly into a step file

ATaha9THAF — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 15:46:37 GMT

Good News everyone the step file was created 😄

The file is about 5 GB it took 3 and half hours but it we did it

great job team!

Re: Exporting Large Assembly into a step file

johnsonshiue — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 23:30:50 GMT

Hi! If you want to cut down the STEP file size, you could try loosening up the export tolerance. On exporting to STEP, click on Options button in the dialog -> change Spline Fit Accuracy to 0.01mm. The STEP file should be smaller.

Many thanks!