Chapter 14: Assembly Configurations and Display States
When you hide a part, its parametric features are still calculated by the CPU; however, because the
part is hidden, it creates no load on the GPU. If you have a good main processor and a questionable
video card, then you will achieve a greater benefit from removing graphics load from your display.
Lightweight parts
On the other hand, if you want to still show a part but not calculate any of its parametric relations,
you should use Lightweight parts. You can find Lightweight default settings by choosing
Tools ➪ Options on both the Assemblies and Performance pages. You can make parts lightweight
through the RMB menu. The opposite of lightweight is resolved. Resolved means that the part is
fully loaded, its parametrics are loaded and calculated by the CPU, and its graphics display data is
calculated and shown by the GPU.
SpeedPak
There is some confusion about where SpeedPak falls into this scheme of things. With SpeedPak,
the parametrics are not loaded, but the graphics are. Also, some of the geometry is selectable, as if
it were imported geometry (actual geometry but without rebuildable parametrics). But SpeedPak
applies only to subassemblies, where the need for improvement is a lot higher.
To summarize this section, there is a five-way relationship between the Resolved, Lightweight,
Hidden, and Suppressed states, as shown in Figure 14.8.
FIGURE 14.8
The relationship between the Resolved, SpeedPak, Lightweight, Hidden, and Suppressed states
Resolved Slower
All parametrics and
display data fully loaded
SpeedPak
No parametrics
Graphics loaded
Some selectable geometry
Hidden
All parametrics
No graphics
Lightweight
No parametrics
Graphics loaded
Suppressed
No parametrics
No graphics
Faster