AutoCAD Map 3D

[#1]

We are experiencing an infuriating and time wasting problem with SDE connected data.

Users are properly set up (all 64 bit .dlls installed into the proper folders) and are using Autocad Map 2012 or Civil 3d 2012 (64 bit).

This problem does not happen every time but all too often. It is erratic and unpredictable in how it occurs between users.

When a given user makes a .dwg with connected data mixed with Autocad entities (or not for that matter) they can connect and work on a drawing normally. Once the .dwg is saved, another user will attempt to open the file. A couple of things will occur. One a 'fatal error' may happen and Autocad will have to be restarted. The other, and more common, is that the Autocad entities will begin to show and then when it appears to try to make a connection to the SDE Autocad will hang (the 'spinning circle of death' appears. Again this does not happen every time but very often.

The workaround to to recover the .dwg file, which deletes all connections and connected data, and then re-build the connected data. however, once that .dwg is shared again the entire problem may well happen again.

Anyone else have this probelm?

Any possible things to we can look at?

Thanks,

Barry

[#2]

I have had the same problems.  What helped was setting up a common user name and password for a particular file or .dwg.  For instance username GIS, password COMMON.  The user needs to be set up on your server by the DBA also.  Another thing I found out is Map 3D is machine and user specific.  If you go to C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\R19.0\MapCache\look for drawing name .xml. This will have all your layers and connections listed.  You can copy that .xml onto another machine and paste into the MapCache folder.  Edit the user name with note pad in the .xml and save.  If the drawing was created by one person on a different machine and passed to another person on a different machine then the layer MapCache if different and can cause these problems.  Try clearing MapCache when reloading the drawing again.  Usually I just highlight the layers and delete them in the MapCache folder.  I am also running a 64 bit machine and connected to SDE.  Hope this helps. Phil

[#3]

I forgot one other thing.  Make sure that the Login User Name and Password in the Data Connect dialog box, where it says Remember password, UNCHECK the box when passing to drawing from one person to another.  Phil

[#4]

Thanks for your comments Phil.

Currently we login using the 'windows Authentication' route. We did have a common user name and password as you had suggested but it limited the number of users that could log in at the same time with the same account (??).

I will try a test fairly soon (we currently have a heavy workload) with the Map Cache data. It seems curious to say the least that Map (or Civil using Map functionality) not only needs these files but keeps them on a local drive. This would entail having to copy all of the cache from the autor's hard drive to a second users' hard drive every tiem they want to work on a .dwg (???).

In your second note you suggested unchecking the box. By using the 'Windows Authentication' route we do not see that option. It is supposed to be a direct connection regardless of user name/password/credentials.

Thanks again Phil.

[#5]

Hi Barry,

I understand your frustration, as it's hard to troubleshoot a problem that occurs intermittently. All I can say in addition to what was discussed is that Direct Connect to underlying datastores of ArcSDE on 64-bit system is a limitation of AutoCAD Map/Civil 3D anyway. I'm sorry to share this with you, but we produced this TS to let people know about it:

Direct Connect to ArcSDE fails on 64-bit operating systems

http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=TS18800464

[#6]

That article, dated March 2012, is incorrect.

We have had the 64 bit .dll files from ESRI installed since December 2011. Therefore, we are using the 64 bit ArcSDE .dlls on Map 2012 64 bit.

Can you please elaborate or clarify this in the context of the Autodesk bulletin from last March?