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luiz.hnm12-Amethyst
12-Amethyst
Sep 16, 2025 7:32 PM UTC
Question

Strategies for Handling Large Assemblies

I am using CREO 8 to assemble a large pallet-racking structure for a big storage system, with significant height, length, and width. I would prefer not to use shrinkwraps or IGES/STEP files, because I want my model to update with any modifications. Additionally, I need to be able to visualize the holes. Could you suggest ways to make the assembly lighter?

10 replies

StephenW
StephenW23-Emerald III
23-Emerald III
Sep 16, 2025 7:48 PM UTC

Simplified reps are the primary tool for large assembly management.

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StephenW
StephenW23-Emerald III
23-Emerald III
Sep 16, 2025 7:52 PM UTC

The document attached in this post is the most comprehensive I have seen with respect to large assemblies.

https://community.ptc.com/t5/PTC-Community-Networking/Bringing-Large-Assemblies-Down-to-Size/td-p/444618

 

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tbraxton
tbraxton22-Sapphire II
22-Sapphire II
Sep 16, 2025 8:02 PM UTC

One technique not widely used is the read only setting. Saving models as read only will help tremendously with regeneration times. If you have library parts (hardware etc.) that are not subject to change in the context of the design process, save them as read only. If there are any models that you would not be modifying during a session, then set them to read only as well.

 

This setting can be undone at any time to modify the model/features.

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luiz.hnm12-AmethystAuthor
12-Amethyst
Sep 16, 2025 8:12 PM UTC

Thank you for your answer!

Are you referring to the "Make Read-Only" option in Windchill?

 

 

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tbraxton
tbraxton22-Sapphire II
22-Sapphire II
Sep 16, 2025 8:45 PM UTC

Not the Windchill "read only". By setting features to read only (or all features in a model) they are not regenerated within Creo until the setting is cleared.

 

About Read-Only Features

 

By setting models to have all features be read only and saving the models it will reduce the regen time of the parts/assemblies by orders of magnitude.

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Chris3
Chris321-Topaz I
21-Topaz I
Sep 17, 2025 2:40 PM UTC

I know you are on Creo 8, but you might want to try backing up your assembly and opening it with Creo 11 or newer and trying out the performance report:

https://support.ptc.com/help/creo/creo_pma/r11.0/usascii/index.html#page/assembly/asm/using_performance_reporting.html 

 

That will show you where the long regen times are and then you can attack the heavy hitters.

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