EXPORTLAYOUT is Very Slow in AutoCAD-2012

[JC_BL]

I always find that the EXPORTLAYOUT command runs slow.  Lately it runs so poorly when I try to export from one of the drawing.  This really pushes me over the edge.  I want to find out a way to take care of this problem.

So far, I have identified two reasons why EXPORTLAYOUT runs very slow:

• The primary reason is the version of AutoCAD.  EXPORTLAYOUT runs very slowly in AutoCAD-2012.  On the other hand, it runs very fast in AutoCAD-2014 on the same computer to process the same drawing.  For example, when AutoCAD-2012 took 12 minutes to run EXPORTLAYOUT, AutoCAD-2014 only took 1 minute.
  
  
• The secondary reason is the speed of the CPU. EXPORTLAYOUT runs proportionally faster in a fast CPU (like i7) than in a slow PC (like Core2Due) given the exact same version of AutoCAD.  For example, when AutoCAD-2012 took 31 minutes to run EXPORTLAYOUT in a Core2Due computer, AutoCAD-2012 only took 12 minutes to do the same thing.

Unfortunately where I work don’t have a plan to upgrade to AutoCAD-2014, nor to upgrade to a faster PC.

I want to see if there is anything else that I can do to “fix” the drawing.  Then EXPORTLAYOUT can run a bit faster.  Please help.

Attached please find the drawing that the EXPORTLAYOUT command runs very slowly.

That’s how I run EXPORTLAYOUT command using that drawing:

• Open that drawing.
• If it says something about missing PractiCAD, ignore it. It is a third party software, we don’t need it for EXPORTLAYOUT.  Tell it to show proxy graphic and move on.
• Switch to the only paper-space layout tab in that drawing.
• Make sure we are in paper-space, not in the model-space of any viewport.
• Issue the command EXPORTLAYOUT, and ask it to save the exported DWG file in a local drive.

Doing this takes my PC ½ hour to export the file.  This is much slower than when I use the same command in other drawings (that are more like 1 to 5 minutes).

I am using AutoCAD 2012 64-bit version.  And my PC has Windows-7 64-bit.

Please help.  Thanks.

Jay Chan

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

your drawing contains proxies from applications:

• PractiCAD
• QpenDbDb

It might be worth to compare that with drawings that are not influenced by applications (as geometry objects of that application might have troubles to be exported at all.

Good luck, - alfred -

[JC_BL]

You are exactly right.  Those objects related to the third party software (PractiCAD) seems to be causing the problem.  When I use EXPORTLAYOUT frmo AutoCAD-2012 to export a sample AutoCAD drawing, it runs very fast even in my slow Core2Due computer.

Unfortunately I cannot remove those objects because they are the "meat" of the drawing.  They are the reason why we create the drawing.  What should I do to minimize the problem?

Thanks in advance.

Jay Chan

[Alfred.NESWADBA · Accepted solution]

Hi,

>> Unfortunately I cannot remove those objects [...]

>> What should I do to minimize the problem?

You found now three ways that would make the export faster, but updating AutoCAD and/or updating the workstation is not an option for you ... so the third option is to ask the vendor of the application.

As I don't know how this appication handles that proxies you might try command _-EXPORTTOAUTOCAD, then open the drawing created by that command and run _EXPORTLAYOUT again.

Good luck, - alfred -

[JC_BL]

I tried the tip of using the combination of -EXPORTTOAUTOCAD and EXPORTLAYOUT.  Unfortunately the result was far worse than before.  Now the same drawing took 1.5 hour instead of 0.5 hour.

As what you have correctly pointed out, I can do three things:

• Upgrade to AutoCAD-2014.
• Upgrade my PC to i7 or something like that.
• Contact the PractiCAD software vendor to see if they can help.

I will contact the software vendor.  If that doesn't work out, I will have to see if I can upgrade my PC.

Thanks for the suggestion.  I appreciate that.

Jay Chan

[goswamiaryan417]

hi

[JC_BL]

Finally I figured out that the problem has to do with that specific version of PractiCAD (a third party software running on top of AutoCAD).  We ended up not upgrading to the new version.  Instead, we replace the third party software.  Either way, we fix the problem.

JC_BL