Compact Database - Assembly Project Manager

[martinjb]

I have recently been investigating the Assembly Project Manager and how it could be implemented within our processes.

My initial database has a file size in the order of 500,000kb.

If i create a set of 5 assembly projects at a major assembly level (front/rear fuse, wing etc.) i get databases that are the same size as the original (500,000kb) and therefore 5 x 500Mb = 2.5Gb of disk space used.

If use the button Add Project per Assembly in the Assembly Project Manager and i have 40 assemblies the total disk spce that i have used is 20Gb.

Looking at the 5 new assembly projects that i created at the major assembly level, if I go into each database and compact them, I reduce the total disk space to 183Mb.

Is this the only way to ensure that the minimum space is taken on the disk, by compacting individual databases or is there a toggle/backdoor switch that compacts a database automatically as it is being created?

Also when compacting a database what is being compacted/removed?  Is it all the designs that haven't met the defined criteria being removed?  What would you say is the correct practice for compacting a database?  After each run? Over a certain size? Or ....

Sorry if there are too many questions in one post

Thanks
     

[James]

Compacting the assembly databases after creation is a good idea. Currently, this is not being done automatically. I've noted this down as a customer request.
In the near-term, you could write a script to compact the databases in the assembly project folder. See: http://hypersizer.com/help_7.3/#COM/Object/Application-CompactDatabase.php

Compacting a database removes all of the unused tables in the database. We recommend to compact the database if you've deleted or reimported projects. Also, if the database gets close to 2GB (Access database limit) then you should compact.

I hope this is helpful.
-James