I may be totally out of place here because I am working on an iPad and I don’t know if it handles geometry differently, but I was curious so I did an experiment.
I created a file that utilized not only unique components but also multiple copies of some, and then I created the exact same file with the exact same geometry in groups only and made sure to purge both files of anything extra at the end… and I get a very different file size at the end.
LOTS of geometry here, all tiny, lots of small edges.
In the “components” file, each of the ten unique chess pieces is a component, with all the extra being the appropriate copies, and the chessboard is one black square component and one white square component copied across the board (ha). Then the wood partition is one last component before I grouped the entire assembly and componented that.
In the groups one, it‘s the same organization, except the squares are all grouped as one giant unit. And then the entire assembly is grouped all together.
Yep, that is to be expected, components make file size smaller but don’t necessarily reduce the load on the graphic card. They can actually increase it.
It is possible to create a file using components that is a few hundred kilobytes that will bring any computer to it’s knees, and a large file size of groups that can be easily navigated.
There is a balancing act to get the best from everything.
Good to know! I’ve been trying to keep the iPad files down in size because I’ve been equating file size with model accessibility, but this says that I don’t need to do that as long as I’m being smart about my geometry. This chess set in a large scale model (whole house or something of the like) would be stupid because it’s too much component in such a small space.
That’s exactly what I took from the previous 3 replies.
Yup. You’re confirming what was said. I’m kinda glad I asked this question after all, looks like it’s on more people’s minds
My MacBook Pro is a pretty smart piece of machinery, but it’s built for graphic design and development – not for 3D modelling. I have used Vectorworks before, and SU is so much nicer to my graphics card! With the extra advantages of smart mixing of components when needed and groups where I can get away with it, I am able to squeeze a lot more out of SU than I ever could out of VW.
Keeping in mind the pro’s and cons of components vs groups will further increase the mileage I get out of my equipment!
