A simple trick to avoid huge delay with Simp Rep rule evaluation
In brief:
If you want the rule to apply to all levels and not just the current subassembly, do not check the "Include submodels" box when you initially create the search condition. Close the rule editor dialog box, and then "redefine" to edit it, and then check that box.
On a large assembly, this can make a huge difference in how long it takes to bring up the resulting Simp Rep each time. Compare the results I got with my demo assembly:
Creo Parametric 2.0 M240
with workaround: 13 seconds
without workaround: 6 minutes
Creo Parametric 4.0 M030
with workaround: 14 seconds
without workaround: 28 seconds
In depth:
Oh boy, was this tricky to figure out!
I have a complicated top assembly model that we've been working on for years. It has a "No_Standard_Hardware" Sim Rep, that automatically removes fasteners and other small components. This was set up using the "Model Rules" feature in Simp Reps. There is a "Rule Action" to exclude items which match a search query "condition". This query looks for Solid Models which match anything on a long list of names. (Which we have saved as a query file, to allow reuse throughout our origination.) The "Include submodels" option is checked, so it will scan for these components at all levels, not just the current assembly.
Our standard config.pro includes "auto_evaluate_simprep_rules yes", so it checks these rules (scanning the entire model tree), every time you invoke the Simp Rep.
Despite how large the assembly is, and how many filenames it has to check against, switching to this Simp Rep has always been very quick. As in, a few seconds. If I replace the search list by importing a new query file, it still updates quickly. If the lower level models have changed to include more of these items, it still updates quickly. If I create another Simp Rep in the same model that includes the same search condition, that Simp Rep would also update quickly.
So... damń, was it confusing when I was trying to create an identical Simp Rep in another model, and it was taking minutes every time I would switch to it! I was searching for hidden settings everywhere, wondering if a change we had made to our start part templates might have been somehow to blame, etc...