Getting a lot of crashes in VWX2017

[Andrew Davies]

Hello

 

I am using latest version of VWX, on Mac OS X 10.12.3 with a 2016 Retina MacBook Pro with Touch bar.

 

I am working on a largish file (several referenced files - but not massive) and getting a lot of crashes.  Not sure if it's the hardware, VWX or the file I am working on.

 

Two crashes in the past hour.  Here's the latest crash report.  Getting frustrating.

 

Andrew

Process: Vectorworks [13710].pdf

Edited March 27, 2017 by Andrew Davies

[PVA - Admin]

Reply back with the following from that machine and I can take a closer look:
 

That crash log indicates graphics, but that can mean many things. Another thing to check, the files you are working with have been opened and saved as of 2017 SP3? Or were they made in SP2 and not saved since then? (Normally this shouldn't matter but I've seen it help things before when problems arose.)

[Andrew Davies]

Thanks Jim

 

System report attached.

 

It's a file (or a collection of files - several referenced files being pulled into one master) I have been working on for about 9 months.  So it started in VWX 2016 - then went to 2017 all the way up to 2017 SP3

 

To be honest the crashes have been pretty frequent over the last month - since I have been working on it more intensely as the project comes closer.  (Next week - dohhhhhh!). No noticeable change since SP3 - was crashing under SP2 too.

 

Andrew

MacBook_Pro.spx

[PVA - Admin]

Nothing jumps out specifically at me, and if we send the files to support we might not hear back in time.

For the moment I suggest the following, these changes should just make Vectorworks as stable as possible and take as much work as we can off the GPU (which is what is implicated in the crash log) in the short term:

Tools > Options > Vectorworks Preferences > 3D > 3D Conversion Resolution - Medium

Tools > Options > Vectorworks Preferences > 3D > 3D Rotation - Slide all the way to Responsive

Tools > Options > Vectorworks Preferences > 3D > Retain Rendering Model - Slide all the way to Never

Tools > Options > Vectorworks Preferences > Display > Navigation Graphics - Best Compatibility

Tools > Options > Vectorworks Preferences > Session > Error Reporting - Send crash details and verbose usage patterns (To give us the most info possible when you get these crashes in the future)

 

Under Apple > System Preferences > Power Saver - Uncheck Automatic Graphics Switching to make sure Vectorworks is always using your dedicated GPU. This shouldn't be needed but I've had to manually change this on occasion.

If any of the above are already set to what I suggested, that's fine, leave them there. After setting these options open and then close Vectorworks normally to lock in the changes. Launch Vectorworks again and work with it for awhile and see if stability improves or not. If not, we may try a new user account on your machine since wiping preferences (and having to reset everything) when on a deadline can be annoying.

[Andrew Davies]

Thanks so much Jim. Appreciated. 

 

Will make those settings and see how I get on. 

 

I do seem to remember, on my old MacBook Pro (2014), setting the automatic graphics switching to always use the GPU and seeing an improvement - I think anyway. Never have the chance to test properly. 

 

Andrew