how to purge civil 3d drawings

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If yous've been following the CAD Setter Out for a while, you will know that I recommend keeping your geometry organised as you proceed.

Using Polylines, Groups, Blocks, Layers and Xref's effectively will help you to work rapidly with your drawings files. Working this manner will also get some manner to preventing your AutoCAD DWG files becoming swollen or corrupt.

If you've been working on a file for some time, and y'all've noticed AutoCAD slowing down, and so it may be worth doing a chip of a cleanup to help slim that drawing file down. This could also be necessary when dealing with files from clients, suppliers or contractors.

I've listed a few tools and tips below that could assistance yous put a chip of zip back into a sluggish DWG.

• Back up before yous mess upwards!
• Go like shooting fish in a barrel on explodes
• Delete unused geometry
• Notice Invisible objects
• Delete unused layers
• Delete unused Layer filters
• Check your styles
• Purge
• Purge Regapps
• Audit
• Recover
• Wblock
• Other issues that could exist slowing your DWG down

(If you lot apply Architectural Desktop, check out the extra tip from Mike in the comments)

Back up before you lot mess up!

As always, save a re-create of your production DWG files before you lot mess about with them :) This is particularly of import if you  are working with a 3rd political party cartoon.

Become piece of cake on explodes

If you receive a cartoon from a third party, don't be tempted to explode all their blocks. This can be a really bad idea. If there is more than one copy of each cake in the drawing and so the blocks will actually be saving memory.

If you doubtable a block is causing a problem, copy information technology out into a blank file and exploded it. Then follow the advice below on the new file. Carefully rebuild the cake and and then replace or re-define the cake in the original drawing.

Exist really, actually careful that y'all don't explode a dynamic block. The dynamic properties of the block volition not be able to resolve themselves and this may decadent your DWG.

Delete unused geometry

If you need to make a change to your drawing, It can be tempting to copy the old particular to 1 side 'just in case'. This is all additional data that AutoCAD needs to manage. If you lot end up with a lot of unnecessary, erstwhile or out-dated geometry, create an archive copy of the AutoCAD DWG file and delete your intermediate piece of work from your working DWG file.

Note: A quick fashion to delete all unnecessary objects from your drawing file is to hit CTRL+A (select all), then hold down the Shift key whilst de-selecting what you lot desire to keep. now hit delete. Poof!  All unused information will be gone ;)

Find Invisible objects

There are a number of objects that could be effecting your DWG's file size – that aren't always visible. This could include empty text strings, points and blocks that contain only invisible attributes.

To pick upwardly points, blazon 'DDPTYPE' at the command line to modify the size and manner of points in your drawing. You lot can now delete what you don't need.

To find empty text strings, blazon 'QTEXTMODE' at the command, ready the value to '1' and perform a regen. This will supplant all the text strings in your drawing with bounding boxes. Y'all can at present hunt downwardly and delete any empty text boxes. Set qtextmode dorsum to 0 when yous are done to put your text back to normal.

Note: From 2010 AutoCAD has the option to purge empty text strings in the 'PURGE' dialogue – see below.

To detect Block definitions that contain Invisible attributes, type 'ATTDISP' at the command line, and set attribute display to 'on'. You can at present select and delete whatsoever previously invisible blocks that yous don't need.

To detect 3D objects with invisible faces, blazon 'SPLFRAME' at the command line, and fix the value to 'one'. This will reveal the shapes control polygon, assuasive you to select and delete information technology.

Information technology is possible to create an AutoCAD group with cipher in it. Burn upwardly the 'Grouping' command and 'explode' any groups you don't need or recognise.

Note: AutoCAD 2012 now has the choice to purge empty groups – see below.

Finally, to find wipeouts that have their frames turned off type 'TFRAMES' at the command line and hit return. This arrangement variable toggles wipeout frames on and off.

Delete unused layers

Did you know that AutoCAD won't let you delete a layer that is in use? Open the Layer manager, select every Layer you don't need  and striking 'Delete'. Yous can't accidently delete a layer you demand. This will become rid of a whole load of actress data that AutoCAD doesn't need to manage.

AutoCAD won't permit you delete the agile layer, so check which layer is active before you beginning. AutoCAD won't permit you delete a layer that is frozen in a viewport – even if there are no objects on that layer, and so check through each viewport if you lot take problem layers.

Tip: Use 'LAYMRG' to merge objects to a target layer. The original layers are purged from the cartoon.

Tip: Utilise the 'LAYDEL' control to permanently delete whatsoever layers that you can't shake. Be careful with this tool – at that place's no going back!

Note: The system variable 'SHOWLAYERUSAGE' puts a check mark in the layer dialogue by each layer that is in use. If you take lots of layers in your drawings, setting this to '0' will forbid AutoCAD from tracking 'in employ' layers, which will help speed things up.

Delete unused Layer filters

Now y'all've deleted all the layers you don't demand out of your cartoon, maybe you've got a whole load of layer filters yous don't demand either? The quickest way to clean out layer filters is with the 'FILTERS' command. This pops up a petty dialog which allows you to quickly delete unused layer filters from your AutoCAD DWG file.

Note: The control is 'FILTERS' – not 'FILTER'. The Filter command is like an Uber Quick select tool.

Cheque your styles

AutoCAD won't let you purge text, dimension or multi-leader styles while they are in use – even if you are non using the style in the drawing. Cheque which styles are current before you lot purge.

Purge

AutoCAD'south PURGE command will allow y'all to clear out data from your AutoCAD file'south database that isn't role of the cartoon.  For instance, even if y'all have deleted all copies of a block out of a cartoon, it's definition will notwithstanding exist in the drawing'south database. This is the same for Annotation styles.

Call up to cheque the 'Purge nested objects' box to articulate out nested block references. AutoCAD 2010 has the handy option to clear out empty text and zero length lines. AutoCAD 2012 includes the option to purge empty groups.

Application bill of fare > Drawing Utilities Panel > Purge

Control entry: purge

Save your file after you've purged information technology to  re-write the database earlier you audit. You may need to purge and audit a couple of times to completely clean up your DWG. I recommend that y'all purge your file production files frequently equally office of your housekeeping routine.

Tip: Y'all tin use the PURGE control equally a detective tool to help with problem files. Checking the 'View items you cannot purge' radio button to notice any united nations-PURGE'able nasty's that are hidden in your drawings.

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If you need to clean up a lot of problem drawings, you lot could endeavour either of these third party plugins:

http://www.jtbworld.com/smartpurger.htm

http://world wide web.manusoft.com/software/superpurge.html

Purge Regapps

'PURGE REGAPPS', is a secret option of the control line only version of the purge command. 'Regapps' is curt for 'Registered Applications'.

AutoCAD holds a flake of memory infinite free for vertical products such as AutoCAD Architectural desktop to use if they demand it. If you receive files that could have been created with one of the AutoCAD verticals, you tin claw back some memory infinite past using this command.

Type '-purge' at the command line, then type 'r' and hit 'enter' to chose 'Regapps'. AutoCAD will prompt you to list the names you want to purge. But hitting 'enter' to accept the default asterisk '*' which will select all the available regapps. Now type 'N' and striking enter so y'all don't accept to verify each regapp to be purged.

AutoCAD will recreate whatsoever regapps memory infinite it needs should the file be re-opened by an AutoCAD vertical, and so this won't crusade anyone problems down the line.

Note: If yous created a backup re-create of your file, compare the file size at present. You should notice that information technology is substantially reduced.

Inspect

AutoCAD's 'AUDIT' control inspects the cartoon file's database for errors. Type 'AUDIT' at the command line, Type 'Y' to fix errors and and then hit the F2 key to see what AutoCAD has washed to your file. Salvage your file before y'all run the purge command over again.

You may need to run the Purge – salvage  and  Inspect – salve commands a few times to completely optimize your file.

Recover

The recover control is a little like the 'AUDIT' command – just you run it before you open the problem drawing. To apply the recover command, get to the application menu (The Large Red A) and choose, Drawing utilities > Recover. You will be prompted to pick a file.

Note: This is one of the few things in you can do in AutoCAD without a cartoon open up already.

The file volition be Audited, and then opened in AutoCAD.

Wblock

If nothing else works, try 'WBLOCK'ing the geometry you require into another drawing. The wblock command will just take what information technology needs to back up what you take chosen to export from your drawing. This can leave corrupted elements behind.

Other issues that could be slowing your DWG down

If you are running antivirus software, brand sure that common AutoCAD file types such every bit DWG, DWS, DWT, DXF, BAK, SV$ are excluded. You can meet a full list of AutoCAD file extensions here:

HyperPics: File Extensions Related to AutoCAD

The Scale List Problems

AutoCAD 2008 included a bug which copied all note scales from x-referenced drawings into the host drawings, fifty-fifty if they already existed. This creates a massive number of unrequired scales in your drawing. If you are working with someone who is using AutoCAD 2008, you lot might nonetheless come across this problem.

More modernistic releases of AutoCAD have an automatic detection organization for this problem. If you open a problem file, AutoCAD will prompt y'all to see if you desire to re-fix the calibration list. I recommend you lot choose 'Yes'!

To reset the scale list in a corrupted drawing, follow the command line entries below:

Command: -SCALELISTEDIT Enter option [?/Add/Delete/Reset/Go out] <Add>: Reset

Reset scale listing to defaults? [Yes/No] <No>: Aye

Calibration list reset to default entries.

Enter choice [?/Add/Delete/Reset/Leave] <Add>: Leave

If you lot are using xref's, brand certain you lot clean out the xreff'd files before yous clean out the host drawing.

If you need to clean upwardly lots of files yous can utilize this Scale List Clean upward utility from Autodesk.

Download the Scale List Clean upwardly Utility from Autodesk

Full and Fractional saves

AutoCAD only does a 'full' save when you hit save. AutoSaves are incremental (only what'due south inverse volition be saved). The system variable 'ISAVEPERCENT' controls how often a full salve will be done. Setting isavepercent to 0, will outcome in a longer save time, but a improve organised fie (all saves volition be full). Setting isavepercent to 100 will result in a faster save time, but more sluggish performance.

I promise that y'all found this article useful and that you've managed to breath some new life into your crusty old DWG's!

Read this mail for more ways to clean up your AutoCAD geometry for output to CNC/CAM.

mckeeverboading.blogspot.com

Source: https://cadsetterout.com/autocad-tutorials/how-to-optimize-your-autocad-dwg/

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