File dimension increase after purge

[Anonymous]

Hi All,

Hope everything is fine. I’ve just managed to finish some families complete with the BIM info. File size was about 1.7MB “which I think works good”, I then decided to export family types from the current family to create a text (.txt file) my goal was to delete some family members enabling me to have everything tidy and hopefully reduce my file size to 1.5MB, but that didn’t really work, it actually gave me +0.4MB or 0.6MB in some cases. Have a look at the attached file

Is there a reason for that?

hope the above makes sense

Cheers

Workstation detail

Dell Precision 7720

Intel Core i7-7820HQ CPU 2.90GHz

32GB RAM

System type 64-bit

OS: Windows 10 Enterprise 

[L.Maas · Accepted solution]

Yes, there is a reason for that. Revit files behave like databases. Databases often need to be efficient and fast. For this when you delete/purge something from it, it is just marked as deleted. However it is not yet removed from the "database" (because performance wise this is an inefficient process). During the purging you add some overhead/data to the database (e.g. describing what has happened), resulting in a file that can be larger.

To get the database smaller you would run a compact command. For larger databases this process would be executed during the night (quieter periods) or when some criteria are matched.

As Revit files operate like databases similar things happen to the files. So internally Revit will at some point compact the files. You can force this process by using save as and then select "Compact File" in the "File Save Options" menu.

[Anonymous]

Hello Louis,

thanks very much for your feedback. I now understand why, I've applied your solution and yes, it works. I've managed getting the file dimension down.

I started working with Revit in February this year and really enjoy it, I was quite frustrated at the beginning because I've been working with AutoCAD and Inventor for the past 11yrs so I had to cancel or let's say change my thought process.

I imagine the compact file works also for the Projects not only the families. Is that correct?

have a great day

Alex  

[L.Maas · Accepted solution]

Yes, if you start working on Revit, you will have to keep Autocad out of your mind otherwise it will, as you noticed, be very frustrating.

Correct project files behave in the same way