AutoCAD Map 3D :: Setup Options When Using Query / Object Data Methods

Have you developed a method or set of rules that has made working with large data sets / drawing files an enjoyable process? When working with an extremely large area, Map 3D tends to chug or lock up to the point where now I'm trying to rethink the "Proper" map setup and get opinions on your AutoCAD Map 3D - Mapping Best Practices.

I'm basically looking for comments, recommendations, and/or best practices when defining maps. If you have ever worked with an extremely large dataset or set of shape files and need to import the entities and the query from a drawing file (or maybe even multiple drawings), insert text, insert blocks with attributes. You'll know that this process can be time consuming when working with large datasets. Most staff that work with large data sets are moving to ArcGIS, which makes sense, but I'd rather do all my mapping / GIS with Map 3D.

So maybe setting up multiple drawings with each Layer in a separate drawing makes sense. (30 drawings in a central folder). The Task Pane option is not my preference. I'd prefer all drawings files to be setup with attribute data in-place and stored in a central folder. From there I will proceed with the setup of an extensive Query setup that will generate various maps by altering properties and inserting text from various object data. Essentially loading a saved query that can be ran with updated data to regenerate the labels in some instances.