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Speeding up regen time

ben

New member
Hi

I've modelled a fairly complex 'surfacy' assembly and parts using patterns. When i regen, it takes a while to complete (maybe up to 3 mins). I'm fully regenerating the model maybe three times an hr so i'm waiting well over an hr a day for the parts assemblies to regen....

The model has been created in a fairly robust manner using patterns so i beleive that the model construction is ok. Hardware wise i'm using a Dell twin chip Xeon workstation. Reviewing CPU performance (within Windows Task Manager) during ProE regeneration the workstation is nowhere near full performance.

An IT techy at where i'm working tells me that increasing RAM etc won't help speed things up as its the way the software/hardware process's the info. He has suggested a Maths co-processor PCI card might speed things up

Has anyone any suggestions / recomendations etc...?

Thanks in advance for any help

Ben
 
Not too sure where to advise on the hardware side of things, but from a modelling point of view using simplified reps will help a great deal.


Kev
 
Hi kev

Yep, I'm already using them on this model....i might recheck that i'm creating them correctly...i'm blanking components and graphics rep components at the mo'

thanks

ben
 
That sounds good enough Ben...


Another thing to remember... when you are using patterns, as the number of instances of a pattern increases there is a significant impact on the regen time (I have a model of some expamet sheet, as I increase the number of instances from 100 to 200, the regen time goes from 10 seconds to approx 45 secs)


Kev
 
Suppressing patterns - as long as they don't interfere with, or are needed for, subsequent features - may help.


If you already have a dual processor workstation, and it is not fully used, then adding extra parallel computing power sounds like absolute BS to me. Most of ProE regeneration is probably single threaded, consequently a dual CPU machine can only be 50 % loaded. Adding more processing power then is like buying2 extra carsand hoping to get faster to your office. Getting the fastest CPU possible will give more benefits. Extra RAM is only helpfull when you slow down because memory starts swapping to disk.


Alex
 
Nice link ankarl.....


Had a pleasent 5 minutes looking at Larry's website, loads of new terms for me to use


Kev
smiley36.gif
smiley32.gif
 
Thanks again...

AHA-D...unfortunately i've got other features and parts all dependant on them!

ankarl....the profiles link is a good read to....particularly with re: to restructuring etc. i know i did a lot of restructuring parts etc. whilst designing and CADing at the same time....however that is the design process surely...otherwise we'd just be 'drafters'......

....and my client, or even myself would not want to restart the model from scratch for cost/time reasons as well as me keeping my own sanity,,,

ta
 
Don't forget the kind of pattern will affect the regen time creatly. Always use Idendical patterns if possible. They are over 3 timesfaster to regen than Variable. General are the slowest of all. Pro E has some techniques to pattern and merge surfaces to make cuts and protrusions for complex patterned geometry.


And considering I'm on a roll of stating the obvious to most of the users on this forum, I will continue the trend by reminding to use reference patterns whenever possible, especially rounds. Round pattern regeneration can be the worst.
 

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