VW 17 - massive file size for dwg export

[Innes 0]

Hi there - long time VW user, but just started using VW 2017. I've just exported a site plan in dwg format for a consultant, and can't believe the file size - over 25 MB, just for the siteplan, no other drawings in the file. Previous version I was using (VW 2014), I had exported the dwg for this file at less than 2 MB. Can anyone comment? Are there any settings I should be aware of before exporting to dwg format?

cheers

[David S 173]

Hello Innes. This may be completely unconnected but I had this once and completely stripped a file down to find out what this issue was. (our VW to pdf's -not dwg's - were ridiculously huge) Turned out it was a wierd Text (yes!) font  that had crept into the file...(we normally use Ariel)!  Hope this helps...

[Nina Ivanova 35]

Hello Innes,

 

Would you, please, add a bug report or send the document and the export settings you are using so that we could analyze the problem?

[Innes 0]

3 hours ago, Nina Ivanova said:

Hello Innes,

 

Would you, please, add a bug report or send the document and the export settings you are using so that we could analyze the problem?

 

Hi Nina, thanks for your reply. I've attached a copy of the VW file.

Regards,

Innes

2911_PLANS-site-only_BP.vwx

[Innes 0]

5 hours ago, David S said:

Hello Innes. This may be completely unconnected but I had this once and completely stripped a file down to find out what this issue was. (our VW to pdf's -not dwg's - were ridiculously huge) Turned out it was a wierd Text (yes!) font  that had crept into the file...(we normally use Ariel)!  Hope this helps...

Hi David - Thanks, I was thinking the same thing - the file contains info imported from a Surveyors' drawing, which does have an odd fonts, and exploded hatches.

cheers,

Innes

[Nina Ivanova 35]

Hello Innes,

 

Thank you for the file! We analyzed the problem and can confirm, that for this example document created by VW2014 DWG file size is smaller that the one, created by VW2017. VW2014 creates a DWG with size 8Mb, while created by VW2017 file size is 24Mb. This is because of the additional blocks, created in order to better control the viewports visibility and object attributes. For this exact document there might be a way to optimize the export. We will log a bug report for this issue and will work on the optimizations. 

 

Thank you for reporting,

Nina

[Innes 0]

ok, thank you.

 

[Art V 315]

Just took a look at the file out of curiousity.

It is not just additional blocks being created for visibility (sounds a bit euphemistic in this case), the entire drawings gets duplicated twice (for each additional viewport) so the VW drawing was in the DWG file three times. Deleting two of the additional blocks, exploding the remaining one, running multiple purges for nested blocks and doing an overkill to remove overlapping files resulted in a DWG file of 7,400 KB (i..e just over 7 MB) instead of 25 MB, which correlates with the duplications.

Then there is the drawing itself. Some of the polylines can have the vertices reduced by 75% with a polyline smooth, the hatches and some of the dashed circles are broken lines instead of single objects, some of the text is not text but lines etc. All this probably from importing a dwg or pdf file?
Cleaning up those things may further reduce the file size with another one or two megabytes for the exported DWG file because it will drastically reduce the number of objects. But the main culprit is the duplication of the drawing caused by having multiple viewports.

If file size is critical you may want to get a dwg based cad program to clean the dwg file before sending it to your client until the optimization issue gets solved. Draftsight (free) or Bricscad or Ares Commander (both paid) could be options as they are available for windows and mac and have a high degree of AutoCAD compatibility.

[Innes 0]

Thanks very much for the detailed response, particularly the advice on exploding blocks, purging, etc.

[erminio 2]

Hi guys,
I had the same problem, search and found the solution, reading this topic and thank you all for that

People working with me, complained unjustified increase of files size and at the same time was difficult to mail them
I found faster and cleaner export in VW 2014 and after export in dwg rather then export directly the dwg from 2017 and clean blocks after
By the way, both ways are not productive at all and should be nice having the chance to export lighter files as in previous releases of VW

 

[erminio 2]

Hi all
In this period I’m exporting big files to AutoCAD in massive way for externals
These files start from 50MB in Vectorworks
Having 5 viewports they become over 110MB  and collaborators complian that they are simply unmanageable
If I export the same files to DWG without viewports, they become about 10MB
Tried Art V way but takes a lot of time for complex files and needs AutoCAD, so I have to pass through VW 2014

For me it’s time wasting and after all this trick won’t be available for ever
I’m really wondering if it could be possible, the insertion of an export option that work as before (without n-duplication of blocks/symbols) even at the cost of a lower compatibilty 

[Rossford 24]

Regarding poly lines, whenever I have worked with other firms using ACAD, our poly lines convert to literally thousands of points in ACAD.  I convert those to polygons, and simplify them (you can convert to 3D and use simplify poly, then convert back to 2D if required) but I have an old script for poly smoothing.  Even if you simplify relatively little, you can reduce on polyline from thousands of vertices to hundreds or if you don't mind a bit of choppy look, maybe to dozens of vertices.  It takes a little experimentation.

 

I have also found many duplicates for reasons I cannot understand, so running the purge duplicates command usually helps.

[zoomer 802]

I think it is good to purge before simplifying these.

Otherwise duplicates may become slightly different and no more recognized by purge commands.

[Benson Shaw 527]

I think Purge first is good advice.

 

A note about duplicate, coincident (stacked up) objects from dxf and dwg files:

I have imported ACAD files for different projects, over several years, from more than one source that included curb objects with coincident Top of Curb and Bottom of Curb geometry. I think some of these imports also had top & bot Edge of Pavement and Edge of Walkway objects coincident on the multiple curb objects.  These are kind of 2.5d in that the entire drawing is presented as 2d objects, but the stacked up duplicates represent z offsets without actually moving them off the ACAD layer plane. Maybe the original drafting needed both edges for construction estimating or for future conversion to 3d or other use not apparent in the import.  Drafting conventions might apply layer (ACAD) designations and colors to indicate the thickness and each stacked element's allegiance  to road or curb or walkway. Or sometimes the duplicates might be artifacts related to existing and proposed or intermediate design stages. I think these were mainly intentional duplicates from in house design and drafting protocols. But some might have been carelessness, drafting errors or import errors.

 

Successful Purge of these duplicates would need to recognize the coincident vector objects and ignore any differences they exhibit in class/layer/data/attribute/etc.

 

-B

[zoomer 802]

I think class and layers are recognized.

 

But good advice.

Didn‘t think about that. i also noticed often many duplicates in dwgs

but just purged them without care.