Layer Improvement Suggestion
I am finding that even when I turn off all layers except one with some text, my file is consuming 937mb to 1GB. At 1.6 GB it refuses to save, so, I lost an hour to two hours worth of work. The file size is at 82 MB. When the other layers were on, before saving, the file size would be around 172 MB.
I considered selecting all solids and exporting them to a separate file, but then as I want to purge the empTIED layers, that would also compel me to lose the empTY layers, layers I created as reservation. I have not tried, but I am afraid that even LOCKED empty layers will be lost in a purge/compaction.
It should be possible to without turning on all layers and such to tell VCP/Shark to deeply search and select for export all objects of a specified geometry type. I would then be able to select all solids, and flag ONLY THEIR layers for purge. Or, in the event I upgrade to a 64-bit system with more RAM, I could re-import those exported solids and have them go back into the trees/layers/branches they were stripped from.
It also would be nice layers turned off or other layers specifically selected/flagged could be made "dormant", to remove them from RAM. Their mere existence seems to consume RAM even when their layers are turned off. For me, this is a problem because its bulk increases loading times, saving times, and pushes my file ever closer to the 1.6 GB crash/no-more-saves limit.
This is also yet another example of it being necessary to allow us to snip and graft layers from one branch or tree to another. There seems to be no programmatic or logic reason why we can't. In anguish and grief over this crippling limitation -- one which exacerbates my ability to administratively reorganize my model's layers and transplant parts and objects (no drag n' drop between files with retention of layer properties such as name of layer/branch/tree/level -- I've decided that either there is nor priority/will, or there is some no-compete/no-man's-land situation. WE virtually NEVER get any response to some of these specific gripes about the layer tree.
I really, REALLY want to stay with Shark. I love the interface overall, and since there is not a bewildering array of stuff all over the interface or available to put on-screen, it tends to be easy to use, aside from some frustrations with thickening geometry that doesn't seem to be "questionable geometry".
Please, can we get some long-requested retro-upgrades in features instead of new ones that probably keep bogging down the code? There should be a moratorium on "significantly new" features until model to sheet, layer management, and annotations issues are fixed. Even rudimentary 16-bit/32-bit 1989 ship design software has text/labels that remain readable regardless of orientation of the model.
As for Compact Options:
Purged Deleted (I think Purged should be Purge, present action verb, not past tense)
Remove History
Empty Layers
Flatten Draw View
I used the first to in an effort to reduce my file's RAM consumption, hopefully by purging the Undo Stack.
But, on checking the file size, it does not show any change. I go to file, save, but save is dimmed out. I either have to edit the file to get "save" to become available, or I have to use "File, save as", just to find out whether Compact did anything meaningful for my file size and RAM consumption.
Compact (using the first two options) only shaved 7 MB from my file size. The RAM is only down to 954MB (vice 1.1 GB during save).
Closing the file and Shark and restarting Shark and reopening the file shows RAM consumption at 816,860 kb. Startup time did not meaningfully speed up.
I think the only way to get my file back into the 500MB range is to strip out the solids making the ship's hull. The deck plate solids are less of an issue because, I suspect, their geometry is vastly simpler -- flat plates with some curvature and face-matching operations. I have not yet created openings in the plates yet.
I guess I'll have to externally reference these, too.
