AutoCAD 2011 & the use of memory (taskmanager)

[MarcoW]

Maybe you guys have an answer to this one.

 

When opening a drawing, any drawing at all, I notice AutoCAD uses like 391.816kb. This can be viewed by windows Taskmanager. When doing (almost) nothing, this memory use stays the same.

 

During a session, with some actions in it (drawing, importing blocks, hatching, whatever one can do in a drawing) sometimes AutoCAD gets slower... for some reason. It just does. The used memory then is more than double! Around 800.000kB. I can imagine this being normal.

 

Now my PC is relatively fast I believe (Intel Xeon E5520 Quad Core + NVIDIA Quadro FX 580 - 512MB + 8gB internal memory) so I figure that this behaviour (getting slower) is not a matter of lacking capacities of the PC.

 

Closing the drawing and reopening it again is the solution I have so far. THis works well but is there a way to "reset" the drawing at some point? This will save me some time. Also I like to understand how this process is working.

 

What consumes this amount of memory, is there "something stored somewhere" that can be cleared?

 

Any help and response is much appreciated!

Kind regards,

Marco.

[ReMark]

How many programs do you have running at the same time you are using AutoCAD?

 

Were you aware that some antivirus programs aggressively target AutoCAD dll files thinking them to be suspicious and a possible threat thus slowing one's computer?

 

What else consumes memory? Programs and processes; both of which can be viewed via Windows Task Manager. Examples are: acad, svchost, winword, explorer, wscommcntr1, outlook, etc.

[ReMark]

You could take a look at a program such as Ram Booster .NET v3.1 available here at http://rambooster.net/.

 

You can find similar programs by searching the Internet re: memory optimizer. These types of programs were hugely popular back when 2MB of memory was considered a lot. There were programs such as QEMM that did nothing but memory management and had more tweaks than a centipede had legs. LOL

 

I find it puzzling that you and I run very similar configurations yet I have no problem with 2011 and you do.

[ReMark]

From Microsoft re: Windows Task Manager

 

"This article provides basic information about how to use Windows Task Manager to start programs, to end processes, and to monitor the computer's performance."

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/323527

 

Another interesting tidbit re: What is "svchost"?

 

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/what-is-svchostexe-and-why-is-it-running/

 

Many users have complained that after switching to Win7 that with several instances of svchost.exe running concurrently that CPU usage shoots up to 100% and stays there. One culprit has been identified as UPnPDeviceHost but you aren't necessarily going to see this since it is usually being run under one of the svchost entries. I believe there is a viewer of some type that allows a user to see what processes are being run via each instance of svchost.exe.

Edited November 22, 2010 by ReMark

[irneb]

You mean perhaps something like Process Monitor? That helped me out numerous times to find installations with missing or incorrectly pathed files - another place where performance is lost.

[nestly]

Memory/process usage isn't something I know much about but this seems like it would weigh heavily on memory usage.

 

[ReMark]

Yes that's a known resource sucker. It can also be accessed via LAYOUTREGENCTL.

 

Another memory hog has to do with hatch preview. Control this with the variable HPQUICKPREVIEW.

 

AutoDesk is recommending something called the Performance Monitor. Check it out here:

 

http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/acad_perf_mon/

 

The download is free however you have to sign-in just as you would when visiting the Discussion Forums. Interestingly enough the 1.06MB zip file (Monitor.gadget.zip) is touted as an AutoDesk Labs Pre-release Product. Huh? I wonder what the mystery is all about?

 

A search of the AutoCAD 2011 discussion group indicates users complaining about slow performance in regards to all of the following features...

 

Array

Copy

Hatch

Plotting

Regen

Scrolling

Selecting

Space switching

Undoing

Zooming

 

These plus the infamous "out of memory" error seem popular since 2009 was released and just got worse with 2010 and 2011.

Edited November 22, 2010 by ReMark

[nestly]

There's a thread in the AutoCAD2011 forums at Autodesk about the Performance monitor, started by the developers, who refer to it as a "preview". I think that means it could become an AutoCAD feature if it tests well. BTW, It doesn't work with WinXP.

[ReMark]

It doesn't work with WinXP.

 

Now isn't that just dandy. Is AutoDesk a partner with Microsoft?

[irneb]

It doesn't work with WinXP.

 

Now isn't that just dandy. Is AutoDesk a partner with Microsoft?

Need you actually ask?

[MarcoW]

Wow. Thanks for the replies. It is a lot, so I started yesterday evening with reading and writing.. took a bit of time but here we go.

 

@ Remark:

How many programs do you have running at the same time you are using AutoCAD?

Basically just AutoCAD, but Microsoft Outlook is active as well as antivirus. Besides that there is only a scan program active in the taskbar but that is just a shortcut I believe.

 

Were you aware that some antivirus programs aggressively target AutoCAD dll files thinking them to be suspicious and a possible threat thus slowing one's computer?

No not really, but I can imagine this. But this does not happen all the time, at some point in a drawing it seems to "get full".

 

What else consumes memory? Programs and processes; both of which can be viewed via Windows Task Manager. Examples are: acad, svchost, winword, explorer, wscommcntr1, outlook, etc.

Yes I am aware, I have seen them all in that list.

 

You could take a look at a program such as Ram Booster .NET v3.1 available here at http://rambooster.net/.

I believe it is not applicable when running W7 64bit... (?)

 

You can find similar programs by searching the Internet re: memory optimizer. These types of programs were hugely popular back when 2MB of memory was considered a lot. There were programs such as QEMM that did nothing but memory management and had more tweaks than a centipede had legs. LOL

Okay, thats a funny thing! (I did google to find out what a centipede is... now that's a laugh!)

 

I find it puzzling that you and I run very similar configurations yet I have no problem with 2011 and you do.

Yes, that is true. I use AutoCAD for a long time and usually I manage to solve A LOT myself. But lately I seem to be outdated...

 

From Microsoft re: Windows Task Manager

"This article provides basic information about how to use Windows Task Manager to start programs, to end processes, and to monitor the computer's performance."

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/323527

 

Another interesting tidbit re: What is "svchost"?

 

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windo...is-it-running/

 

Thanks for those links, I really like to read / learn how things are. But to "maybe disable" some services, is not what I should try I believe.

 

 

Many users have complained that after switching to Win7 that with several instances of svchost.exe running concurrently that CPU usage shoots up to 100% and stays there. One culprit has been identified as UPnPDeviceHost but you aren't necessarily going to see this since it is usually being run under one of the svchost entries. I believe there is a viewer of some type that allows a user to see what processes are being run via each instance of svchost.exe.

THis is not what's happening here: I have only "more memory in use". My processor doesn't move much at all.

 

LAYOUTREGENCTL.

That I will try!

 

HPQUICKPREVIEW

That I have set to "off" and I reccomend all users how expierience any trouble during hatching; it really consumes time.

 

AutoDesk is recommending something called the Performance Monitor. Check it out here:

 

http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/acad_perf_mon/

 

The download is free however you have to sign-in just as you would when visiting the Discussion Forums. Interestingly enough the 1.06MB zip file (Monitor.gadget.zip) is touted as an AutoDesk Labs Pre-release Product. Huh? I wonder what the mystery is all about?

No I did sign in and this si what I got:

 

 [/size]<H2>[size=2]Location Error - Download Request[/size][/b]

[font=Arial][size=2]Download Not Available
This download is not available in some countries.[/size][/font]

[size=2]

--> How do I unsubscribe ??

 

A search of the AutoCAD 2011 discussion group indicates users complaining about slow performance in regards to all of the following features...

 

Array

Copy

Hatch

Plotting

Regen

Scrolling

Selecting

Space switching

Undoing

Zooming

 

These plus the infamous "out of memory" error seem popular since 2009 was released and just got worse with 2010 and 2011.

 

 

Remark, one thing that I really find bothering besides all this is the clayer / laymcur functions not working. I Checked it out on a 32 bit XP machine and it gives the same result as when running on my W7 64 bit machine. And the version of AutoCAD is 64 bit for shure.

 

Bwaa... anyway, I made a little screenrecording to show you how "stupid" it is. Now it's time to do some work!

 

Thanks for the replies again!

[irneb]

Try turning off the Layer Manager palette before using the drop-down in the ribbon - it's known to make ACad slow as well. Actually I prefer never using it as it's got other bugs (like not being able to modify layer properties). You can set which opens by default by changing the LayerDlgMode variable. Or you can use the ClassicLayer command.

[MarcoW]

Irneb; AutoCAD is not always slow, just sometimes after doing several things. This has nothing to do with the layermanager. I tried your settings because I did not knew those options but they are of no help.

But thanks for taking the time to help me. Regards, MarcoW.

[ReMark]

Might I suggest trying the Repair option?

 

Yeah, having that hourglass basically stuck to your crosshairs gets really annoying... really fast. AutoCAD seems to be processing something but what?

[MarcoW]

ReMark, you gave me a big smile..

 

I was thinking "what does he mean by hourglass"...

That is only when converting from *.avi to *.swf thus the crosshairs don't show an hourglass actually.

But you may suggest the repair function, of course. But I believe we should start a topic with "know issues" and share it with AutoDESK.

But that may be an option not that well.

[ReMark]

What do you have for a motherboard in your computer?

[MarcoW]

I have no clue, really. It is's a custom build machine based on a HPZ400 but with better processor, I was told. For it's price I could buy 2 good working stations of wich I had in the past.

 

Somehow I am not happy with the whole thing... I mean AutoCAD 2011 in combination with Window 7. I have figured to try to install 2010 32 bit and see if there are less problems. Just to know if my machine is working well. I could even go back to 2008 (wich I have used even in my dreams). Then I can tell what is going on... I think.

 

But too little time to mess around now, there's so much work to be done!

[ReMark]

Do not install a 32-bit version of AutoCAD on your computer unless you have a good reason to do so.

[irneb]

Do not install a 32-bit version of AutoCAD on your computer unless you have a good reason to do so.

I'd concure with that 100-fold! Our 2011 runs reasonably smoothly on the 64bits we have, but most of our PC's can't handle 64bit. And trying to use 2009 / 2010 / 2011 32bit with a maximum of 3GB of usable RAM makes for a slow ACad with a blank DWG. For those PC's we're relegated to WinXP & 2008.

[MarcoW]

Another question: All entities etc. inside a dwg make the dwg ".....kB or mB". I mean, the more is in there, the bigger the file gets. How can I determine wich item in a dwg uses how much memory?

Like some fonts and hatches; some of them can seriously cause some slowing down.