anyone ever get endlessly expanding files?

[Boing]

Last couple of jobs i've worked on now have had files that just grow and grow even though i'm not adding to the model. I've tried merging all into a clean file and it drops from 110 meg to 70 meg but it instantly starts to creep back up with every autobak save or file save.

[rotten42]

Last couple of jobs i've worked on now have had files that just grow and grow even though i'm not adding to the model. I've tried merging all into a clean file and it drops from 110 meg to 70 meg but it instantly starts to creep back up with every autobak save or file save.

 

 

 

what program?

[Boing]

sorry, Max 9 sp2 with vray.

[Fran]

It could be the old file bloat bug. Try this:

1. File>Xref Objects (open and close the dialog)

2. File>Xref Scene (open and close the dialog)

3. Type gc() in the pink edit box in the lower left corner of the workspace, then hit enter. In the white feedback edit box, you'll see a number.

4. Save the file and see if the size changed.

 

I have had this issue in the past (going all the way back to Max 6) and had noticed that it occurred fairly regularly with instanced lights. I have not had the problem since using fryrender, which requires that you apply an emitter material to an object rather than using actual light objects.

[dinhtuan]

Last couple of jobs i've worked on now have had files that just grow and grow even though i'm not adding to the model. I've tried merging all into a clean file and it drops from 110 meg to 70 meg but it instantly starts to creep back up with every autobak save or file save.

 

I have 500mb max 9+Vray file and when I ease all object and save it still 500mb . To clean that file I have to switch renderer back to scanline - hide all object(scanline can not render Vray material) and hit render - Save and the size drop to 80mb . Have no idea for this because this issue was in max6 and fixed in max 7 like Fran said .

Let try this.

BR

[Boing]

Thanks for the replies.

 

i tried both of those but niether worked, the gc number didn't increase and after scanline the file came down from 107 024kb to 106 998kb.....

 

 

Fran did you find that breaking an instanced light (making them all unique) fixed it or was it a "once done stuffed forever" problem?

[Fran]

Nigel, the light instancing was the suspect in the bloating issue. If the method I described didn't reset your file to the correct size, then it is a different issue entirely and likely has nothing to do with instanced lights.

 

I will mention that the size of the number in the feedback box - gc() forces Max to do a "garbage collection" - doesn't matter. If you saved the file and it was not restored to the size it is supposed to be, then this is not your issue.

[Tommy Burns]

Have you tried compress on save in File preferences

Worked for me before

[Boing]

I may just end up doing a reinstall and seeing if that cures it, thanks anyway fran.

 

Tommy, i've never tried that but it surely wouldn't stop whatever is expanding the file it would just compress it to a smaller size?

[Tommy Burns]

It brought a 20mb file down to 1.2 for me before I'd give it a go, let me know how you get on

[Fran]

Have you tried contacting Autodesk support? I know people speak of it with disdain, but they've always been very responsive in my experience.

[ITryMyBest]

When I have this issue, I usually merge in the objects into a new file but cautiously and always alphabetically. What I mean is I will merge all objects that start with the letter 'A' and save the file, check file size. Then I may merge in objects that start with the letters 'B-E' and save the file again, check new file size. What I am looking for is what single object makes the file size jump tremendously. Sometimes I will save the file two or three times, just to make sure the file size doesn't start to creep up.

 

Merging in a box with 6 faces should not make the file size jump 50mb. However, merging a car that is 10mb alone should make the file jump maybe 5-7mb. Since you are familiar with the objects in the file, you should be able to gauge what seems acceptable.

 

In the end, I usually find an object that causes a huge file increase. I will then go to my original file, do a save selected on this object and delete it from the master file and check the new file size both for the resaved master file and the save selected file. If things appear okay, meaning the master file size seems right and the save selected file is ridiculously large for what the object is, then you have found the culprit. This object will have to be remodeled. You will be surprised, I have had a model with less than 60 faces be 90mb and it passed the STL check with no errors. Usually, there is nothing wrong with the mesh in terms of how it is modeled, but it is corrupted somehow.

 

I know this may sound like a lot, but it usually takes about 15 minutes to find the object. I hope this helps.

[Boing]

ITryMyBest, i think it'll probably come down to something like that, hopefully the jobs getting to the end of it's life now so i may just live with it and move on.

 

Thanks for the reply.