Vectorworks 2008 seems slow. Is this memory related?

[cdavis 0]

I am using Vectorworks 2008 on a Dell Inspiron 9400 with 2 Gigs of memory (Windows XP SP2)and a DuoCore processor and nvidia card. Sometimes it will go into a mode of waiting 3 seconds before bringing the cursor back. Sometimes it will take a couple of minutes for the whole screen to come back and sometimes the tool sets are empty for 30 seconds to a few minutes. I have noticed that when CPU usage is around 50% this slowness problem is more serious. Is 2 Gigs enough RAM? The file I am drawing on is 80 megs and has hatches and plant symbols. Also with 36 plants visible it wants to redraw all of them before taking the next command. I need to add dozens more plants (using the symbols that come with Landmark). How can I speed up the computer/Vectorworks combination? Is anyone having these same problems?

[panthony 0]

I just posted this same issue in another thread....

And a giant resounding YES...I am seeing a huge slow down.

This is from another thread I just posted...

"I've tried to test everything I can to free up operating memory for VW 2008 to no avail.

Here is what is happening.

Version 12.5 worked fine...no issues at all.

Version 13...is stealing all of my system memory resources as I draw (mainly just in lines and few symbols). It just gets sooooooo slooooooow that I have to shut down VW and start it up in order for it free up memory.

I am running XP with 3.6Ghz dual core nvidia 7400 (latest upgrades)with 256 on board and 2GB memory.

It takes about an hour of layout time in simple lines to begin noticing the OIP taking additional time to gather info with each object selection. If I drop a symbol in it can take up to 10 seconds for the OIP to recognize it.

I have shut down all unecessarry programs, increased system pagefile size, disabled indexing.....nothing I do to windows seems to help VW. As a matter of fact 2008 is slowing down any and all other programs I wish to run like when I opened this explorer window to write this...VW is minimized but it has grabbed all my memory so this note is taking a long time to write.

There is a memeory problem with 2008...

Any suggestions would help....

Is anyone else out there seeing the same thing?

I may have to go back to 12.5 to keep food on the table."

Pete A.

[Ray Libby 1]

cdavis, does this happen over time, or does it happen as soon as you launch VectorWorks?

[Christiaan 858]

Memory leak maybe? Hope not.

[Guest]

Do you have GDI imaging on?

[panthony 0]

GDI is off

[Guest]

We're looking into this.

[Guest]

If you have an anti-virus program running, disable it and see if the problem goes away or is reduced.

If you are working on files stored on a server, try copying the files to the local computer and run them here to see if the problem goes away or is reduced.

If you have PC Doctor type programs running, disable these and see if the problem goes away or is reduced.

[panthony 0]

Katie,

Disabled Norton Anti-Virus

Files are all on local machine

No Doctors are in the house.

I have my PC running...stripped down to its skivvies. Only core systems and VW. Takes about an hour and you begin to notice a lag in all pop-ups like the OIP and Offset and move distance to name a few. When it gets real bad even data entry in the pop-ups is extremely slow.

Pete

[cdavis 0]

I went to lunch and to run an errand. After 1 hour and 15 minutes later without any other programs running VW2008 had locked up. I can use it for a while without anything else running, but after a while it will require a restart of VW or reboot the computer. It helps not to have anything running with it. Eventually CPU usage will go to about 50% then you have to restart.

Copied the file to the local harddrive and the redraw with the plants was twice as fast. I have over 100 plants. There needs to be a low res. setting in views for the view in order to get faster redraws. A setting to hide hatches and fills and leave only outlines visible would be great.

No PC or antivirus software running on my local machine.

[Guest]

Once working with the files on the local computer, do you still notice the slow downs?

[cdavis 0]

Yes, the computer redraws faster, but without other software besides Internet Explorer it will at some point not refresh the screen or the tool boxes. So all you see is the desktop and outlines of the toolboxes. It takes 1 to 3 hours for VW to get to this point.

[cdavis 0]

With a small file (1 meg) I could run VW 2008 for 7 hours straight without a problem (even with Autocad and Photoshop open). However, I have a file that is 75 megs and it causes the program to stop working. The cursor moves, the toolboxes are empty. When I Alt Tab to view other program screens (only running Internet Explorer) when I come back to Vectorworks. I only see the empty tool boxes. In the task manager the program shows it is running. The CPU usage is 45% or more and will not come down below that until I use the task manager to end VW 2008. Is this a need more memory (have 2Gigs) situation or a software memory issue?

[panthony 0]

cdavis,

I have experienced the same problems with 2008 running under XP. I also have 2gigs of memory with the latest in video upgrades to an allready smokin video card.

Here is what I can see so far...

I started by cleaning everything out of a vwx-file I mean everything...right down to the basics...all textures, symbols, wall styles, records...everything.

Then I began to layout a simple 840sf single level design using only lines. After about an hour of drawing with lines, offsets, arcs and builing a couple of very simple symbols (i.e. a rectangle with the word furnace and circle with the letters HW) I began to notice each time I selected a new object it seemed to take longer for the OIP to populate with the data as well as the offset tool popup and the move distance popup. When this began I opened the task manager and found that VW was using 1.69 gig of memory which completely maxed out all available RAM so the system was utlilizing more disc cache to function. That explains the performance issues.

Next I tried to see what would happen if I opened a large file...

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it opened but was completely residing on disc cache due to the fact that there was no RAM available.

I have come to the conclusion that 2008 for Windows XP was not totally tested prior to release. Maybe the mac version works better...have not heard any rumblings from the macites and only one reference from Katie that they are looking into it. Nothing since.

I guess we will just have to wait for the programmers at VW to figure out what went wrong and expect a fix soon. In the meantime I have gone back to VW 12.5 which is still active on my system...I'm glad the install did not over-write the previous version.

Pete A

[Guest]

We are looking into this problem and finding a solution to this issue.

[tgm 0]

Pete states...

...I began to notice each time I selected a new object it seemed to take longer for the OIP to populate with the data...

This is one of the issues that has been brought up in the past in a 'screen flicker' thread. Then it was always someone elses problem...ie video card issue etc.

Now NNA is "...looking into the problem..". What was wrong with looking into it before the 2008 release?? There was never even any admission of a problem.

Really good communication to its customers, don't you think!

Back to 12.5.2 and all its issues,

Thanks,

Tom in PA

[P Retondo 106]

This sounds like a memory leak to me. Pete, that was a good set of tests and observations. What is strange is that others who have been using this program with similar systems haven't reported the problem. So we need to give Katie all the information and cooperation we can to help isolate the cause. Don't lose hope! I reported a 2008 slowness issue regarding Viewports, and NNA engineers got right on it and solved the problem.

[orso b. schmid 32]

I am running VW 2008 on Windows XP and never could see the issues described.

o

[Guest]

We feel that we've isolated the issue and are working on addressing the issue.

We appreciate your patience.

If you have specifics about the types of operations you are doing that lead up to the slow downs, that info would be great.

Likewise, please send detailed computer specs, and files if the problem is file specific.

[panthony 0]

Katie,

Thanks for the work on this. I know it is more than likely buried somewhere deep in the system. I'm holding on to this new release because of the absolute professionalism and quality of NNA products provided in the past. However, I do get a little cranky when someone takes my crayons from me.

Here is comprehensive breakdown of my hardware at present. I have not loaded this on my old system (still relatively robust) to see if I can duplicate the issue.

Computer - Intel: Pentuim 4, CPU 3.00GHZ, 3.01 GHz, 2.00GB of RAM

Pagefile size - 3070MB

(ACPI Multiprocessor PC) My clock speed is high but I am not running in RAID or DUAL Mode.

standard keyboard

Logitech Cordless Laser Mouse

Linksys Wireless-G PCI Adapter

DISK DRIVE - WDC WD25 00KS-00MJB0 SCSI Disk

Silicon Image SiI 3132 SoftRaid 5 Controller

SiS 182 RAID Controller

Operating Software - Microsoft Windows XP Professional Version 2002 Service Pack 2

VIDEO - NVIDIA Chip Type:GeForce 7600 GT, Memory:256, Bios:Version 5.73.22.18.01(just updated)

MONITOR - SyncMaster 204T/204Ts/204B, SyncMaster Magic CX201Ts(Digital) 60Hz refresh rate

No Virus Software installed (removed 9-27-06)

Disabled all resident run non-essential programs

I was able to duplicate this problem with several files opened from scratch and empty to start. With one file I imported around 30 textures from another file and that slowed things down considerably so I removed them. That caused the system to go into a locked up state...still running according to the task manager but stayed that way for over ten minutes. I attributed that to the writing back and forth to the hard drive.

Other than that there is no specific file. When I notice the slow down I close the file, get out of VW to release the Ram and start it all back up and get another couple of hours of draw time. Last night I tried to add some walls (around eight) when selecting a wall the system would take close to 15 seconds to populate the OIP. Thats when I gave up and came to the board.

If there is anything else I can offer please do not hesitate to ask.

Pete A

[Ray Libby 1]

I'm experiencing the same problem, I noticed I have the same video card, GeoForce 7600 GT. Katie, you may want to check on Bug B060881.

[Ray Libby 1]

panthony, will keystrokes work while the Vectorworks is not responding? Say if you keep pressing Ctrl D to duplicate.

[panthony 0]

Ray,

Yes...the application continues to run under windows and each keystroke as well as all mouse clicks and movements wait for system resources to be freed up then they execute. Classic hard disk write, seek and display from the pagefile.

Pete

[Ray Libby 1]

Thanks Pete, I'm not seeing my memory use getting to the point of going to page file. I'll have to give this a closer look. I have a RAM monitor gadget in my sidebar, maybe it's giving me false readings.

[panthony 0]

I can't believe I'm up this late.

The task manager process tab tells me the amount of memory usage per process. That is what I am basing my findings on as well as the Physical memory under performance.

I started a new multiple unit project with VW 2008 of 6 individual sustainable homes that meet elegibility threshold for sf/occupancy. Started with the smallest one at 840sf. VW should have smoked through that without a blink. So I was kind-of dissapointed when problems showed up.

I hope NNA gets this one sorted out.

Pete