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HUGE file size


kgroob

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I've been working on several files for a very ornate church. Unfortunately for me, I drew the initial files with just about all the detail there is in the church, and now my files are HUGE! It takes about 5-10 minutes to print each one. The largest vectorworks file is about 26 MB, and the corresponding PDF is 6.9 MB. Even after making PDFs, it takes a long time to print, if Adobe doesn't crash first.

Does anyone know of a way to save my sanity and shrink the file size more easily than clicking into almost every group and deleting a few polylines? I don't want to eliminate all the detail, otherwise I would just delete all the gray lines (finest detail).

I also tried reducing the PDF file size in acrobat, but sometimes it just makes the file larger for some reason.

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First your files are not that huge. My current project file is about 300 MB. Others have reported on files even larger. There is a thread on this subject already, you may want to search for it.

You can reduce the PDF file size may reducing the resolution of your sheet layers. Also, you indicated that you have a lot of detail, well detail equals size and printing a detailed image is always going to take longer than a simple one.

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Under the menu: File->Export->Export PDF..., I usually set the file conversion resolution at 72 dpi, so that the PDF can be reduced to an e-mailable size. The file export also allows me to turn off the layer and class export, which serves to control the PDF as a single drawing sheet, instead of a mass of layered objects. I noticed that the usual way of making PDFs, under the Print Dialog, always includes the layered invisible objects.

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Kriegs

My VW road design files are in the 50 to 300 mb size because I use 30 cm resolution aerial photos (imported as PDF, JPEG or TIFF) as a background & I want to retain the resolution so I can view detail when zoomed in.

Just printed 117 MB file on a 24" x 36" sheet of my road design at 300 dpi with the aerial photo printing at near photo quality & it took 5 minutes.

More assistance could be provided if we knew what your set up was ie computer, OS, VW version & printer, this can easily be added to your signature.

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In response to "reducing your file size", I have occasionally (out of sheer desperation) started a completely new blank file and copy/pasted only the objects I needed in the new file. That action, albeit potentially time consuming, has usually resulted in a smaller file size for me. My opinion is that just because some things are deleted doesn't mean the file necessarily gets lighter.

... (I have been using this technique for years and across numerous cad applications, and it usually has some form of success.)

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Another couple of ideas to manage file size:

1. use symbols wherever possible;

2. use Tools>Purge Unused Objects before printing.

Thanks, D Wood. I had been using several symbols, but I'm going back and converting groups to symbols that I hadn't thought to make into symbols in the first place.

Do you happen to know if using symbols makes it easier/harder/neither to convert to DWG files?

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D Wood

I've been reading this post and I am confused about the statement you made saying that vector files are larger than image files. It is only when I import props (Raster Images) that my files increase in size. Vector based files are simply text files, and are always smaller in size than a raster based file. One way that I decrease my PDF file size is by optimizing the PDF once it is created. If you have access to Adobe Acrobat (not reader) there is option to "Optimize PDF" which allows you to decrease any raster based images (textures, bump maps,...etc) in your file to a lower resolution. My PDF's that I email to clients range in size from 128k up to 1.5 mb. Now don't get me wrong when you have a vector based file with a lot of vertex points the file can get quite large, but that should not effect you export to a PDF. I usually use a altered (Monitor Preview) setting for my PDF exports and it has been working great and keeps my file size down to a size that can easily be emailed.

Another option is to keep away from all of your textures, bump maps and heavy detail until you are ready to produce final renderings.

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