Can not real-time pan or zoom

I am recieving the message "can not real-time pan or zoom. Regenerate the drawing" where the coordinates usually are after just about every other command. This started happening a week ago after I would do a command such as 3D orbit or layer manager perhaps, but I have not been able to pinpoint any one thing that is causing it. Now, it's happening very frequently.

Also, in the past two days, AutoCAD has started to not see certain objects when I am in the middle of a command. For example, if I am doing a 3D mirror command, I might pick the objects, hit enter, and then AutoCAD can not find the snap points which I want to use for my mirror plane. I then exit the command, do a 'regen' and then try again and it usually works. It has gotten so bad that I hit regen (and have created a hotkey for it) before I start any command, just to be sure.

Other weird things are happening. I am pretty new to AutoCAD in 3D solid modelling, and I know that my model is not set up in the most ideal way. It is happening with all files, but the main file I am working on is about 10-15 Mb. I realize my file may just be corrupt and I need to go about redoing it and trying to better utilize x-ref's and such, but I am hoping that someone will have a quick-fix tip when they read the symptoms I am experiencing.

Thanks!

I think I have found some or all of the problem....

When the file size becomes larger, a regen takes longer to complete. When you exit certain commands (3D Orbit) or execute others (top view, bottom view, etc.), AutoCAD performs a regen. Here's where I have been running into trouble. Many years ago when a co-worker was teaching me AutoCAD, he got me used to using the ESC key after almost any command. Have some items selected and want to deselect all of them, ESC. Start a command and change your mind, ESC. Performing an offset and you are done with what you want to do, ESC. And many commands such as the solid edit commands require the user to hit ESC twice to get out of the command completely.

So.... as I have been exiting 3D Orbit, I have been hitting ESC to do so, and unnecissarly, I have been hitting it at least twice in a row... quickly. In essence, the first time AutoCAD sees the ESC, it exits the 3D Orbit and starts a regen automatically. The second time it sees ESC, it terminates the regen. Then since the regen got interrupted, when I next go and try to pan or zoom real-time, I get the error I was asking about. The larger the file, the longer it takes to regen and the more likely that my second ESC will terminate it.

This seems to be an unfortunate way that AutoCAD works. Now, I guess the question is, does anyone know of some settings I might adjust or change to help avoid this? After all, hitting the ESC key is like a nervous habit for me anymore. It will be a hard one to break. Also, you can see above in my original attachment the "regen terminated" notice.

I don't know if this is the whole story of my recent problems, but I will stop doing double ESCs to end 3D Orbit and keep my eyes open for the other issues I have been having.

I don't think the ESC is the problem. I hit it very often, and very fast. Never had any problems. What computer do you use? Maybe tweak with the grafic card settings (hardware acceleration, open gl etc.)? More I cannot say, sorry.

Edit: Found computer specs. Shouldn't be any problem.

We duplicated the problem on another guy's machine with just about identical build. When I open a small file, I can not hit ESC fast enough to make it happen. Medium files, I can get it sometimes, and files over 10 Mb or so, I pretty much do it every time, just with normal speed ESC-ESC....

Since so many AutoCAD users rely heavily on the ESC key, I found it odd that I am having this problem, but on large files, I can reproduce it this way every time I try to, so I am pretty certain this is the immediate cause of it. That is why I am wondering if I have some other setting wrong or some other problem that might be the underlying cause...

1GB of RAM? Really? And you're working with files over 10MB in size? Doesn't surprise me.

I'm running XP Pro SP3 myself on a system slightly better than yours (CPU speed-wise) but I have 4GBs of RAM and am utilitizing the 3GB switch in my boot.ini file. I have no problem pushing around a 3D drawing file that is 38MB.

Two thoughts... I'm working for a small company and the owner/boss built this machine himself. Before he hired me, it was his kids' computer and so he's proud of it and thinks 1GB is enough. He knows less about AutoCAD than I do and so doesn't really want to spend the money and instead prefers to limp by. So I am up against that. On my home computer (Vista, slower processor and same RAM) I get the problem also (not a big surprise). Of course if I go into 3Dorbit and then not move anything around and exit, it doesn't happen, which makes sense as the regen happens faster.

Second thought... I am looking at my lsp files and I see a line near the bottom in acad200.lsp saying to turn off the dwfout command if I am not going to use it to maximize memory. What is DWFOUT command and should I remove it?? Could that help, even just a bit?

I think that in your case it would be like removing a 5-gal bucket of water from the ocean in hopes the level will go down. It ain't gonna make much difference.

Some things you can do:

Purge the drawing to get the size down as much as you can.

Turn off all programs running in the background when working with large file size drawings. That means your antivirus program, web browser and music files too. Yeah, I know...life sucks.

Freeze layers (don't just turn them Off) you aren't using.

Two questions for you...

Are there any Xrefs loaded?

Do you use a large number of scalelists?

Extreme measures: Use Task Manager to kill any other processes you do not require. BUT! Be damn careful you know beforehand what the process is and what turning it off may do to your system. There is information about this on the Internet if you care to look. Start here...

The Task Manager in Windows XP

http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articles/taskman.htm

Finally...tell the boss that he is wasting his money having you edit drawings that cause you problems like this. That money can be better spent on maxing out the amount of installed RAM. It will be money well spent. And these days, RAM is cheap by comparison.

BTW...Your system is using an AGP graphics card with 128MB of DDR (not the faster DDR II) memory (250MHz RAMDAC vs. 400MHz). It was considered a low-end graphics card back when it came out somewhere around 2003. That's seven years ago. A lot has changed since then. It could be a contributing source to your problem.

Do you have any idea how many memory slots are available in your computer?

Do you know what type of memory is being used and its speed?

For serious CAD work you should have a serious computer and not some kid's toy from 'back-in-the-day'. You're being paid to produce not to troubleshoot computer/software related problems that just waste your time and the boss's money.

I've started trying to use xrefs. For example, there is a spacer in this assembly of some complexity used in about 100 locations. So it seems to make sense to x-ref that. I don't know if I am best utilizing the x-refs or not.

Not sure really what scalelists are, but I have not intentionally tried to use them. If they are relating to drawing scale, I haven't even gotten to creating drawings yet, so that will be another whole adventure.

I've tried some purging. My file size will jump around from day to day, and I'm just not experienced enough to really know if I've done something wrong to make this happen or if the work I've done each day is really that large. I'll also start trying to freeze layers that are lesser-used.

I'll work on the boss...

I'm working for a small company and the owner/boss built this machine himself. Before he hired me, it was his kids' computer and so he's proud of it and thinks 1GB is enough. He knows less about AutoCAD than I do and so doesn't really want to spend the money and instead prefers to limp by.

RAM is cheap and Time = Money.

It doesn't take an Autocad expert to know and understand the benefits of extra RAM. If he built the system himself, then he should be well aware of this. He could pick up another 1GB RAM for about $50. Shop around online and you could probably even find it for less than that. I realize you are working in Autocad 2002, and 1GB may fulfill the minimum requirement, but installing an extra 1GB would make a huge difference.

I should have remembered the version you're using and left Scalelists off the list. 2002 did not have the feature. My oops.

Can you provide us with the motherboard name/number? What you listed is not it. You may have to crack the case and peek inside to get the info or find a free utility that reports such information. That way we'll know how many memory slots are available and we can check the specs to see the type and speed of RAM the mobo is designed to utilize.

It's an ASUS P4CB00-E. The side was already off the CPU. Here's a pic of it that I found from the web. The blue slots each have a "Corsair Platinum Series XMS Extreme Memory Speed" in them, while the black ones are available. I don't see any numbers on them, but I assume they are both 512MB....

A 2GB kit at PC Connection through the Corsair website puts it at about $380 and under $100 if I do a google search. Looks doable.

OK, so your mobo can accommodate up to 4GB of RAM but given its age I'm betting it will be the much slower DDR variety and limited to PC3200 - 400MHz speed.

Maybe you should go have a talk with your boss. Tell him your computer is a tad outdated for the software you're attempting to run on it. Then get some idea of what he would be willing to spend on a new system.

What you have is equivalent to a hammer, a hand saw, and an old hand-powered drill. What you need to do today's job is a nail gun, a skill saw and a 18-volt lithium-ion portable drill. Understand the comparison? You could go out and build a house with both sets of tools but which one would save you time and money in the long run?