Memory

[Ian Smith]

I have created a model in renderworks set in final quality render to create an 'along path' animation. I set all the views and set the PC running. Expected time 4 hours to generate. After 4hrs and 45 min a message pops up saying out of memory. Does anyone have any idea (other than buying a better PC) that can stop this occuring?

Thanks

Ian

[Tamsin Slatter]

Hi Ian

You don't mention your Vectorworks version or anything about your machine spec, but essentially Renderworks makes use of your processor and RAM when rendering.

Renderworks has been 64 bit since Vectorworks 2011, meaning it can access more memory than 4GB. So, although Vectorworks itself is still 32 bit, you may find it beneficial to add some more memory to your PC which is cheaper than getting a new one! But you would need a 64 bit operating system too in order to take advantage of it. And that could well rule out your current hardware. You'd need to check it is capable of running 64 bit.

Hope that helps.

[IanH]

If you run Windows 32 bit, then any application is limited to 2GB of virtual memory - whether your machine has less or more than this amount of RAM is irrelevant other than for performance implications. Your out of memory error is not caused by any hardware deficiency, just by the default configuration of Windows.

Windows 32 bit has a maximum addressable memory of 4GB, but this, by default, is shared equally between an application (the limit is per application rather than shared across all applications) and Windows itself (which may include shared resources such as video RAM). In other words, 2GB per application and 2GB for Windows.

What Vectorworks/Renderworks is saying is that it had breached this 2GB limit.

You can add as much memory to your machine as you like, but it will still break this 2GB limit and will fail in exactly the same way.

What you can do is adjust this default split and allocate more memory to the application and less to Windows. Then any application that is built in such a way that it can make use of more than 2GB can utilise the extra virtual memory. Vectorworks and Renderworks from VW2009 (IIRC) are built this way so they can can advantage of any extra virtual memory allocated above the default 2GB.

How you adjust the split is OS version specific and whilst it should not cause any problems to do so, needs some caution.

I suggest doing a google search for "3GB switch" - its called that as setting application memory to 3GB is the typical option (any more would have a stronger chance of breaking Windows and on some PC's, even 3GB is too much).

Read up on the caveats and go for the 3GB option. Best of all its free! Only then, if you have performance issues, consider upgrading to 3GB RAM.

PS. Don't be surprised if on first book Windows causes a BSOD - its just finding a mismatch between the previous boot and new boot and throwing a bit of a wobbly. A subsequent reboot should sort this.

[Ian Smith]

Ian/Tasmin.

Thanks for the feedback. My system is as follows:

HP Compaq 8100 Elite CMT PC

Intel ® Core 660@3.333GHz 3.47 GHz

RAM 4.00GB

32-Bit operating System

I'm using Vectorworks 2011 with Renderworks.

I gather from the above details it would be helpful for me to upgrade to a 64-Bit operating system with improved RAM?

Thanks again for the priceless feedback.

Best Wishes

Ian

[IanH]

No

Don't waste your money if you don't need to upgrade, which by looking at the specs you probably dont need to as that not a bad spec machine.

Just enable the 3GB option and that would most likely cure your problem - for free and is as time consuming as a couple of reboots.

[Ian Smith]

Ian,

Thanks. I will get on to it as soon as possible.

Best Wishes

Ian