Insane Memory Usage when Saving

[Anonymous]

Normally i don't mind a bit of a lag when saving a large file, but this seems crazy to me. I'm looking at 99% memory (~16Gigs), and about 5-6min to save (ever autosaves). I've worked with larger files that don't have this problem and normal memory usage is in the range of 3-4 Gigs.

With the files in question it happens with both ACAD 2013 and 2014, on multiple computers, different video cards, ...

Has anyone else experienced this?

[pendean]

What size DWG file,
Windows version?
System details?
Are you saving to a server or local PC?

[Anonymous]

What size DWG file?
~7Megs. Lots of 3d solids, xrefs (with many VP Layer Overrides, compared to
other drawings i'm working on), no unneeded layer filters or anno scales..

Windows version?
Win. 7.

System details?
HP Z420, 16G, FirePro V7900, everything's up to date on the software side.

Are you saving to a server or local PC?
Local...

[nedwards9820]

I am finding the same problem.   It sometimes takes 1/2 hour to save a file; sometimes even longer; sometimes the hardware gives up with blue screen.  I have purged, removed odd linetypes, cut and pasted files into new ones, removed regapps from all xrefs.

The attached PNG shows the memory and disk at very close to 100% usage.  Yet none of the files I'm using is large.  I may have thirty or so xrefs to a drawing though.

I'm using AutoCAD 2015 SP2 on Windows 8 and Windows 7 (different machines, one a laptop, one the desktop).  Both have the same problem saving the files.

[pendean]

That's only 5Gig (in your screenshot): that's not "insane", that's average.
How much RAM is on your PCs?
Where are you saving to?
What is the DWG file size?

Blue-Screen is a system hardware failure alert: that's a big deal and it's not fixed by purging files.

[nedwards9820]

That's only 5Gig (in your screenshot): that's not "insane", that's average.

maybe not insane for an Autodesk product.  (I am using an existing discussion thread that seem to fit the problem)

How much RAM is on your PCs?

The full complement is installed on this laptop but it is only 8G.  After the "save" is over, the usage drops to 400M or so.

Where are you saving to?

Locally to the SSD hard drive

What is the DWG file size?

Typically 390kB.

with multiple (30 or so) xrefs that are also very modestly sized (150k - 300k)

The problems only seem to occur with drawings that are making extensive use of PaperSpace

Windows senses the memory problems and flags to "Close programs to prevent information loss"

[Anonymous]

Double post..

[Anonymous]

Never did find a solution.  It does seem to be file related though. 

I ended up salvaging what I could and continuing in a new file. 

Do be careful though, there is something in your file that if copied to the new file, will cause the same issue there. 

I did find some relief from this problem by switching to ECC ram, you might want to investigate that. 

I wouden't hold you breath for a complete and comprehensive solution from Autodesk. 

Typical responses will include; "It's not ACAD, it's you computer".. "It's not a bug it's a feature", etc. 

Just consider it normal operation and move on a soon as possible.

[owen66]

didn't you know, with autodesk updating the software every year (to bring us smooth circles, in this go-around) they double the harware requirements? you pretty much have to buy a $2k machine every two years to run their software. it's like Apple but for PCs!

[owen66]

didn't you know, with autodesk updating the software every year (to bring us smooth circles, in this go-around) they double the hardware requirements? you pretty much have to buy a $2k machine every two years to run their software. it's like Apple but for PCs!

[Anonymous]

I also recall it was a paper space issue. Maybe even related to vp overrides...

[nedwards9820]

I have tried all the normal tricks -- copying visible objects from one modelspace view and pasting in a new .dwg; and importing the paperspace layouts into a new .dwg.  

I have looked especially carefully at the A1 titleblock drawing.

I have looked for annotation scale problems and reset these.

Nothing seems to work.  

[nedwards9820]

I don't know if this is normal behaviour, but even after I close all the open .dwg's AutoCAD remains hogging a large amount of memory -- see screen grab with no open .dwgs

[Anonymous]

I remember this too... Would normally take quite a long time, but would eventually exit.

[nedwards9820]

I have done a little more research to define when the problem occurs... is it ViewPort related?  is it Xref related?

First I bound the xrefs into a file.

Then I started a new drawing, imported the PaperSpace drawings with their viewports from the original file.

Then I inserted as an exploded block the bound xref drawing: this saved OK.

Then I started a second new drawing and imported the PaperSpace drawings with their viewports from the original file.

Then I inserted as an expoded block the original UNbound xref drawing:  this did not save that quickly, but it did not at the 12 minutes the original file took -- perhaps only two or three minutes the first time I saved it.  So I opened it and saved it again ...  This is the record:

xRG-4.28-4.30 xxxxxx lift plans reconsructed from unbound xrefs.dwg

18:50:30 start to close
18:53:25 closed

about 3 mins

repoen, draw and delete a line to make a change

18:55:05 start to close
19:04:54 closed

about 10 mins

Is this due to a change in the file? I doubt it. More likely is that AutoCAD has not released memory resources after the previous save.

When FileSave typically takes 12 minutes, it is hard to work productively.

Maybe we should pay more so that AutoCAD can be programmed to release resources when it has closed all its files?

[pendean]

30 or so Xrefs you are looking at a combined footprint for the file of about 5MB-9MB, plus your screenshot shows you are running THREE instances of the AutoCAD program with that number of Xrefs can indeed mke a file act slow: but again, 5Gig usage in AutoCAD is not uncommon when running three instances and 8Gig system RAM is considered low-end today in this the year 2015.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure about exactly what you test shows, but I do agree with your sentiment. 

"can be programmed".. I can't imagine any reason that would preclude the posibility, but i'm not a programmer. 

"Will" it be?. I doubt it, makes bad marketing copy, "AutoCAD 2016: now with fewer crashes!"

"Maybe we should pay more"? Maybe they already think we will, regardless of this issue. 

I don't think anyones is buying ACAD, or any autodesk product for that matter, because of thier reputation for flawless operation and stability. 

[nedwards9820]

Oh sorry.  I had more than one instance (file) open?  A single instance and the best part of 100% of the machine resources taken up by AutoCAD.

The number of file instances does not seem to make any difference.

It is not easy to forensically grab screenshots that represent this problem.

You pay for AutoCAD for 30+ years on multiple seats in the office and you simply can't work without it.  Or in this case, with it.

My hardware is two years old but was top of the line (it's a Sony SVD13216M with Windows 8, a duo screen: I use a stylus to draw and fingers to zoom).  Most people running AutoCAD won't be using SSD's for instance.  I can work very fast, but AutoCAD 2015 software lets me down badly.

[Anonymous]

AutoCAD is not touchscreen friendly, I run with an SSD drive and performance is outstanding.

And having more than one instance of AutoCAD running does make a difference.

Hardware that is 2 yrs old is outdated in our line of work if you want to run the newest versions, always has been.

I find myself upgrading hardware about every 18 months.

[Anonymous]

Don't worry... it's not the stylus that's causing this. Although using one does seem a bit crazy to me...

The refrain that, "everything would work perfectly, if only your machine was faster/newer/expensive enough..", is a very old one...

Unless it's a genuine compatibility problem, "you must need a newer computer" is the same thing as, "i don't know"...