Yeah, I’ve found that working with shadows doesn’t offer much benefit until I need to screen-capture a usable image, so yeah., I suggest turning off shadows while your’e working. They are a WONDERFUL touch when they’re needed, but not NECESSARILY while your’e working on your assembly. Also, depending on your video card, etc., you may find THEY don’t play well with blocks either. Not a real problem, but Shadows while WONDERFUL are something you might want to temporarily disable until they’re needed.
Your other suggestion about meshes is another good one -
Now, I tried the ONE BIG-over-mesh approach you recommend, found it USEFUL, but soon found I needed the ability to modify and swap individual components I had meshed, so I went ahead, created the MESH as you suggest, but join each component as a single unit, drop the component ITSELF out (Hide/Layer-off either way works), and retain the MESHED version of the individual part until I needed to make edits on the component.
Now the way I handle THAT is to export the part, then re-INSERT the real component block ASSOCIATED with the external part ( part of the INSERT BLOCK process, and then HIDE (or layer-off) that part., so that only the separate MESH of that part shows.
THEN I go about my business working on the design.
When I need to re-edit the exported component, simply open ANOTHER session of RHINO, open the individual part (remember its ASSOCIATED inside the assembly model so it will “update” when you SAVE your edits ), make your edits, save, and go back to the other session of RHINO - the “assembly” session, delete the 1-part mesh component. (You DON’T need to close the other part if you expect to make more edits, just leave that session of RHINO minimized while you work on the main assembly … )
Then back in the main assembly, un-hide the hidden part (hide/unhide or layer on/-off doesn’t matter) explode the block as a regular part, re-mesh it, and BEFORE you re-hide the part leaving just the mesh showing (to speed things up), re-export the part, and re-insert it as a closed block as “Associated” again, and TURN THAT PART “Off” (Hide/Layer-off, either one). ( Yeah, do it THIS way a few times and you’ll see why :=) ! ) .
Yeah, you can simplify the process by internally editing the inserted block (blockedit), but I’ve found the method I’ve outlined works well. The KEY is that you may be working from Component Libraries or FEEDING Component Libraries with your new parts and need to MANAGE that Library, or OTHER staff may be working in-tandem on the design, and THEY MAY be working on parts externally THAT you are using in YOUR assembly.
Ok, looks a bit complicated, I know, but try it a couple of times, and I think you’ll 1. find its actually pretty simple, 2. begins to make sense, and 3. helps noticeably with your operations speed problem, and has other benefits as well - you’ll discover them !
Ok, Post back with results, and when you get a chance, let me know a little about your system so I can offer a few more tips ! Good LUCK !
All the BEST from TEXAS !
-C.