Reduce Abaqus CAE File Size for Easier Sharing

Reduce file size using Compress MDB in Abaqus/CAE

Sharing finite element models with colleagues or clients often involves sending large Abaqus/CAE (.cae) files. These files can grow substantially during model development, especially as geometry, mesh, and output data accumulate. Fortunately, Abaqus includes a built-in tool that allows you to compress CAE files without losing essential data, making them easier to store and transfer. 

The Challenge: Large CAE Files in Collaborative Workflows 

Whether you're working in a team or delivering models to external stakeholders, large file sizes can become a bottleneck: 

• Email platforms often have strict attachment limits 

• File sharing platforms may slow down with oversized uploads 

• Storage and backup systems become harder to manage over time 

Instead of manually removing data or splitting files, Abaqus provides an automatic solution to streamline the process. 

The Solution: Using ‘Compress MDB’ in Abaqus/CAE 

Abaqus offers a simple yet powerful command to reduce the size of your CAE file. Here's how to use it: 

• Open your Abaqus/CAE model as usual. 

• In the top menu, go to File → Compress MDB... 

• Confirm the prompt when asked to compress the current database. 

Once executed, Abaqus will clean up temporary and redundant data while preserving the complete model structure, history, and configuration. The result is a much smaller .cae file that is ready for sharing or archiving. 

When to Use Compression 

You can compress your model database at any stage of the project, but recommended: 

• Before sharing the files 

• Before uploading to a document management system 

• When backing up project files for long-term storage 

Keep in mind that this operation does not delete any critical modeling data, it simply removes unnecessary overhead that builds up during editing and simulation runs. 

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