# \#filesize

**URL:** https://discourse.mcneel.com/tag/filesize/219.md

[Latest](https://discourse.mcneel.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://discourse.mcneel.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://discourse.mcneel.com/tags.md)

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## [Reducing file size of STEP files to work with in Rhino](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/reducing-file-size-of-step-files-to-work-with-in-rhino/208782)

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**Author:** [@Jojo](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Jojo)\
**Replies:** 6\
**Last updated:** [October 21, 2026, 3:04pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/reducing-file-size-of-step-files-to-work-with-in-rhino/208782 "2026-10-21T15:04:24Z")

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Hello guys, I am currently working on setting up a scene for a rendering of an industrial plant. Because I don´t want to model every aspect myself I am using some STEP models I found on various websites. The problem is …

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## [Rhino 8 + V-Ray: textures duplicated / embedded on save very large files](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/rhino-8-v-ray-textures-duplicated-embedded-on-save-very-large-files/214419)

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**Author:** [@user2745](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/user2745)\
**Replies:** 3\
**Last updated:** [January 16, 2026, 9:44am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/rhino-8-v-ray-textures-duplicated-embedded-on-save-very-large-files/214419 "2026-01-16T09:44:25Z")

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Hi everyone, I’m working with Rhino 8 + V-Ray and using V-Ray Generic materials with external textures (albedo, bump, normal, HDRI) that are correctly linked from a project textures folder. What I observe is: Rhino …

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## [Wish: 3dm file compression](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-3dm-file-compression/210365)

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**Author:** [@Christopher\_Savage](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Christopher_Savage)\
**Replies:** 1\
**Last updated:** [October 6, 2025, 11:51pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/wish-3dm-file-compression/210365 "2025-10-06T23:51:40Z")

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I would love to see an option for saving 3dm files in a compressed format (.3dmz?), which may be as simple as reading/writing the file through zip or gzip via C#. I find that putting a 3dm file into a zip file is usually…

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## [How to make modeling (for render) file lighter?](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/how-to-make-modeling-for-render-file-lighter/199818)

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**Author:** [@Gustavo\_Soares\_Silva](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Gustavo_Soares_Silva)\
**Replies:** 11\
**Last updated:** [February 24, 2025, 10:30pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/how-to-make-modeling-for-render-file-lighter/199818 "2025-02-24T22:30:53Z")

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Hello. I’m actually modeling an architecture model and by now it has 0.85G. Saving takes about 2 minutes. Is there any way to make rhino file lighter? It is lagging depending on situations. I accept modelling sugestions…

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## [Enormous file size](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/enormous-file-size/199310)

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**Author:** [@mijalskid17](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/mijalskid17)\
**Replies:** 3\
**Last updated:** [February 12, 2025, 7:28am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/enormous-file-size/199310 "2025-02-12T07:28:59Z")

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Hi, I have a very rudimentary basic model which for some reason is gigantic - around 1 GB. I have no idea why… could someone more experienced give me a hand? I looked through the audit I don’t understand why the file si…

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## [Ah, I Forgot To Use Blocks…Oops](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/ah-i-forgot-to-use-blocks-oops/184999)

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**Author:** [@Alex55](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Alex55)\
**Replies:** 1\
**Last updated:** [June 21, 2024, 8:23pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/ah-i-forgot-to-use-blocks-oops/184999 "2024-06-21T20:23:27Z")

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## [Hatch filesize largely unoptimized](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/hatch-filesize-largely-unoptimized/181295)

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**Author:** [@maje90](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/maje90)\
**Replies:** 2\
**Last updated:** [May 3, 2024, 12:47am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/hatch-filesize-largely-unoptimized/181295 "2024-05-03T00:47:21Z")

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Hi all. This hex grid (used for DnD) is made of many hexagonal cells with a “dot” in the center: as required for the print service, everything is a hatch (but also the original curves are saved)… Problem: Doing…

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## [ChamferEdge and file size](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/chamferedge-and-file-size/164286)

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**Author:** [@Abelyanhayk852](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Abelyanhayk852)\
**Replies:** 5\
**Last updated:** [August 19, 2023, 7:30pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/chamferedge-and-file-size/164286 "2023-08-19T19:30:44Z")

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Hello. In this video, simple 0.2m chamfer doubles the file size from 221MB to 440MB. Please pay attention how selecting the first edge takes nearly 1 minute (second edge is being selected immediately). The area is 2x2 ki…

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## [The document could not be autosaved](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/the-document-could-not-be-autosaved/61989)

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**Author:** [@Simon\_Bammer](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Simon_Bammer)\
**Replies:** 13\
**Last updated:** [April 22, 2023, 8:34am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/the-document-could-not-be-autosaved/61989 "2023-04-22T08:34:07Z")

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Hi there, When I return to my workplace after a longer break I have to Force quit Rhino since the error “The document could not be autosaved. The file doesn’t exist” shows up. The original file is located on a server bu…

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## [Opening a .dwg and saving it as .3dm drastically increases file size](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/opening-a-dwg-and-saving-it-as-3dm-drastically-increases-file-size/93879)

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**Author:** [@kotsospapado](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/kotsospapado)\
**Replies:** 5\
**Last updated:** [October 24, 2022, 8:51pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/opening-a-dwg-and-saving-it-as-3dm-drastically-increases-file-size/93879 "2022-10-24T20:51:06Z")

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Hello everyone. I’m working on a project where the drafts are made in AutoCAD by a colleague and I have to make the 3d model. I opened the .dwg (AutoCAD 2007 format) in Rhino and saved the new file as a .3dm to use it f…

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## [File Size Issues](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/file-size-issues/145620)

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**Author:** [@hughecchapman](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/hughecchapman)\
**Replies:** 12\
**Last updated:** [July 25, 2022, 5:29pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/file-size-issues/145620 "2022-07-25T17:29:15Z")

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I am working on a large model of a 300m x 300m urban area: A fair few elements are blocks (and blocks within blocks).The furniture in this pub garden for example - I’m running Rhino 7 on a decent Windows PC - sys…

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## [Rendering Prep and Filesize](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/rendering-prep-and-filesize/136832)

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**Author:** [@Paul\_96](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Paul_96)\
**Replies:** 2\
**Last updated:** [January 25, 2022, 9:53am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/rendering-prep-and-filesize/136832 "2022-01-25T09:53:49Z")

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Hey guys, My friend wants to render this in Keyshot. I dont know how to use Keyshot. Is there any way to better export this for Keyshot? He said something of too many Polygons and hes not able to assign materials to th…

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## [Make Rhino file lighter](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/make-rhino-file-lighter/125323)

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**Author:** [@mr.shadmi](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/mr.shadmi)\
**Replies:** 1\
**Last updated:** [June 3, 2021, 5:25pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/make-rhino-file-lighter/125323 "2021-06-03T17:25:13Z")

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Hello! I design this façade in rhino but it make the save-file really heavy. how can i make it lighter ? the façade is made out of various rectangular beams like in the pictures/ thanks

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## [JSON import of large catalogue](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/json-import-of-large-catalogue/106344)

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**Author:** [@asfp](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/asfp)\
**Replies:** 2\
**Last updated:** [July 29, 2020, 3:50pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/json-import-of-large-catalogue/106344 "2020-07-29T15:50:16Z")

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What is the best strategy for importing JSON files containing component attributes (dimensions, location of drilling holes, material etc). Is it better to: Import one ‘large’ JSON file (it is not huge, about 40kb), f…

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## [Is there anyway to reduce a rhino file that won't load at start up?](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/is-there-anyway-to-reduce-a-rhino-file-that-wont-load-at-start-up/100953)

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**Author:** [@jmtan97](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/jmtan97)\
**Replies:** 6\
**Last updated:** [April 27, 2020, 9:58am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/is-there-anyway-to-reduce-a-rhino-file-that-wont-load-at-start-up/100953 "2020-04-27T09:58:56Z")

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Someone please help!!! I knew my rhino file was getting huge and was starting to lag, so I started turning a lot of the meshes into proxies and deleting things that I no longer need in the scene. However, my filed of 1…

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## [A very simple geometry with many issues](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/a-very-simple-geometry-with-many-issues/57185)

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**Author:** [@Aiden\_Kashi](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Aiden_Kashi)\
**Replies:** 2\
**Last updated:** [March 12, 2018, 7:39pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/a-very-simple-geometry-with-many-issues/57185 "2018-03-12T19:39:48Z")

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File: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1wC3NxGTrEUsD3G44f30JgE7asRBGWRxd Ok so I feel like there is something that Im missing in using Rhino. This is a very simple surface with many perforations, but I feel like a 600MB…

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## [Rhino file huge size](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/rhino-file-huge-size/43675)

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**Author:** [@Shota\_Tsikoliya](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Shota_Tsikoliya)\
**Replies:** 6\
**Last updated:** [May 3, 2017, 11:46am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/rhino-file-huge-size/43675 "2017-05-03T11:46:18Z")

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Biggest rhino mystery i have seen: My rhino file is 60 mb. When I try to save it - its size is suddenly over 2 gb. If I save only geometry - its again just 60 mb. If I export as dwg - its still small. Internalizing geome…

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## [File size contribution per layer](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/file-size-contribution-per-layer/42241)

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**Author:** [@mark.pothier](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/mark.pothier)\
**Replies:** 4\
**Last updated:** [March 16, 2017, 7:16am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/file-size-contribution-per-layer/42241 "2017-03-16T07:16:17Z")

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I'm trying to clean up and optimize geometry on some large project files (Rhino v5). I'm wondering if there's a tool that shows how much each layer contributes to the overall file size - this would give me some broad ind…

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## [Extremely Large Rhino File](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/extremely-large-rhino-file/37451)

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**Author:** [@Natasha](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Natasha)\
**Replies:** 1\
**Last updated:** [November 28, 2016, 5:08pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/extremely-large-rhino-file/37451 "2016-11-28T17:08:24Z")

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Hello, I have been using Grasshopper alongside Rhino for a University assignment. I have created a photogrammetry mesh and imported the obj into the project (the file was 10mb at this stage). I created a pavilion str…

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## [Files are 10x bigger when saving after vray render](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/files-are-10x-bigger-when-saving-after-vray-render/37697)

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**Author:** [@jpnh](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/jpnh)\
**Replies:** 2\
**Last updated:** [October 17, 2016, 4:05pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/files-are-10x-bigger-when-saving-after-vray-render/37697 "2016-10-17T16:05:41Z")

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Hi, I'm having a hard time keeping my files small. I have a file that started as 500MB but after I render in Vray and save the file then turns into 9GB. How is it gaining 10x the information? My computer is barely open…

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## [Export mesh issue](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/export-mesh-issue/36218)

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**Author:** [@pandabianko](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/pandabianko)\
**Replies:** 2\
**Last updated:** [August 26, 2016, 6:58am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/export-mesh-issue/36218 "2016-08-26T06:58:47Z")

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Hi everybody, a few days ago I tried to export the render mesh like new 3dm file. It was ok, the file was a bit smaller then the one which contain the polysurfaces, but I notice that even export directly the selected mes…

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## [File size increasing despite of the purge](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/file-size-increasing-despite-of-the-purge/33078)

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**Author:** [@BaptisteC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/BaptisteC)\
**Replies:** 4\
**Last updated:** [June 7, 2016, 9:41am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/file-size-increasing-despite-of-the-purge/33078 "2016-06-07T09:41:46Z")

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Hi, I want to prepare few Rhino files for somebody else to work on it. The aim is to insert a picture using PictureFrame in each of them and resize the picture to a correct scale. Nothing very difficult. I opened a new f…