AutoCAD 2015 - A slow and instable version?

[botman]

Hi All,

I've been working with (or trying to) AutoCAd 2015 since several weeks and I have to say I'm very dissapointed in the performance and stability.

Working on 3D objects creates lots of troubles because the program keeps on crashing. 

An example is removing a void (created by subtracting before) from a 3D solid. 

Apart from crashes and other disruptions everythings feels like heavy syrup, even after disabling all unneccesary "features"...

The dark interface is nice to work with I have to say, on the other hand: the new selectioneffect is like hell. 

Setting the variable SELECTIONEFFECT to 0 renders the selection usable again.

Not sure which engineer came up with this brilliant idea...  Try to select some cyan colored objects and you know what I mean... 

I'm not sure why so much effort has been put into these graphical novelties while the program technically is going backwards every version?

I ditched 2013 and 2014 before (also way to slow) and will stop working with 2015 aswell since I'm not able to finish my word due to crashes and lost work. I'll switch back to 2012 (again!!) and wonder why I'm paying subscription anyway....

Sounds familiair to other users or am I the only one being frank here?

Best regards,

Stefan

[botman]

Thanks.... I can be tactfull (wel....sometimes..) 

I've flagged this post as inpropriate direct after my reply to ask the moderators to judge this post.

[botman]

By the way: Thanks for your reply earlier this thread regarding the driver. I'll try experimenting with different versions to see if I can revive the FX4800.

It's a bit tricky because some other software I work with have certain requirements regarding this.

Maybe it's time to try another videocard for the new batch from AutoDesk and I know this might be a risky question but non the less: Which card can be (yep, I'm carefull) a replacement for my FX4800 in your opinion?

I know there's no foolproof anwer but I'm willing to learn on this matter.... 

[nrz13]

If it were me, I'd wait before swapping out your card until a graphics solution is offered from Autodesk or AMD/NVIDIA.  From what I've seen, there is a beta NVIDIA driver floating around that helped a couple of people, I think, although they had newer cards than you.  I've also seen that Autodesk will be issuing a graphics hotfix soon, but I know nothing more on that.  As for me, I've tried a number of AMD drivers and none of them have helped me for 2015.  I don't think a new card will help me right now either because I think the graphics drivers haven't truly been fine-tuned for AutoCAD 2015 yet.

[botman]

Allrighty then.... I'll take your suggestion to wait for a driver solution on board. 

In the meantime I'll try several drivers to check if I can resolve this matter for now.

Thanks!

[zalant]

Hey gang,

   Just thought I should weigh in here a little bit.  Indeed, there is much action behind the scenes going on between us, AMD, and NVIDIA, to work on getting code updates on both ends to resolve the troubles.  One major change with the 2015 release is that we now support DirectX 11, which we did not previously.  This, in conjunction with currently-available video drivers, has led to some troublesome operation of AutoCAD 2015.  

One of the suggestions we've been giving in Support cases is to implement an envionment variable into Windows which AutoCAD will respond to.  The purpose of the variable is to direct AutoCAD to use DirectX 9 as the Virtual Device, as stated in the 3DCONFIG dialog.  To try this out:

1. Close AutoCAD.  
2. Open up System Properties from the Windows Control Panel, then click the Advanced tab.  
3. Click the button below for Environment Variables.  
4. In the lower section (System variables), click the New button.  
5. Enter the variable name GS_DEVICE and give it a value of Dx9.  
6. Click OK all the way out and then launch AutoCAD.  
7. Run the 3DCONFIG command and verify that it is now using DirectX 9, and see how things perform for you, as compared to before.  

In some cases, we've had reports that this improved things, while in others there wasn't much difference.  If you'd like to revert back to using DirectX 11, just delete the variable created in the above steps.  Continuing feedback in this thread and elsewhere will help everyone out, so please share your experience, good or bad.

UPDATE:  8/8/2014
NVIDIA's latest drivers appear to have fixed the issue with cursor ghosting in 2015. Also, we've had a service pack out for a while now that also clears up many things, including the odd graphical artifacts.

[nrz13]

Zac:

I test that method on both our workstation with an AMD V4900 (Windows 7 Pro) and another machine with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX (Windows 8 Pro).  Neither were affected performance-wise (both still bad), and only the NVIDIA card recognized the GS_DEVICE "Dx9" variable.  The AMD card was still showing up as Direct X11 in AutoCAD.

[botman]

Hi Zac,

Tried this solution today on my laptop using a Geforce GT 650M. No changes in performance I'm afraid....

But thanks for trying to find a solution, all help is welcome since it's not a workable situation right now.

I wonder: Has this not been tested in advance before deciding to send 2015 into the world? It feels like I'm being used to test beyond the Beta-program..... Bit strange actually....

[zalant]

Thanks for the feedback, guys! It really helps.  It's good to know about the GS_DEVICE variable only working with NVIDIA cards.  I'm sure our Developement folks knew about it, but we only have NVIDIA cards in this office, so that detail escaped us.  We'll keep on working these performance issues out and hopefully 2015 will be viewed as one of the better releases.  Funny how they all seem to have their own personalities.

[darawork]

Hi Zalant,

I have a PNY GTX760 2GB XLR8 in my machine, editing the Environment variable didn't change the 3DConfig DX11 to DX9 on my system, it stayed at DX11. This card has been giving me trouble since installing Autocad 2015, e.g. not being recognoised in favour of the onboard Intel HD P3000. I can't get it to switch to the nVidia no matter what I do, BIOS, Disabling, Uninstalling, Force GPU per app... etc...

Any ideas why this might be? I have done absolutely everything besides reinstalling my whole windows 7 installation. Everything.

[zalant]

Dara,

     If AutoCAD is using the Intel card, the environment variable will not have the effect of forcing DirectX 9.  As for which GPU to use, AutoCAD takes its cues from the operating system.  If you've gone into the BIOS and disabled the Intel chip, I see no good reason why Windows would even recognize it and assign a driver to it.  If you can get Windows to only see one card, then AutoCAD will follow suit.

[darawork]

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-2013-2014-2015/Is-anyone-using-a-GTX760-with-Autocad-2015/m-p/...

Fixed it.

[Anonymous]

Just wanted to weigh in here and say that I have actually found the opposite than what most of you are saying - I am seeing a definite performance gain from 2014.  However, I am definitely not seeing it being "stable" at all.

video card: NVIDIA Quadro 600

[botman]

Hi Yorx,

Can you specify what kind of drawings you are working with? Is it 2D, 3D, lot's of measurements and annotative scaling or more plain?

A larger filesize or more standard?

And related to stability you seem to have some issues? What kind of issues are these?

Additional info might help on finding a solution.

Best regards

[Anonymous]

botman,

We are 90% 3D drawings here, very rarely do 2D (other than for prints which we basically pull off the 3D).

No annotative.

File sizes (after a quick look) are running around 4,000 to 8,000 kb (we normally run with solid history off to keep the sizes down).

I run with the Ribbon on top, the sheet set manager palette docked to the left, 3 toolbars along the top and the view cube, so I keep my drawing area pretty bare, I like the relestate! 🙂

As far as issues, normal graphical bugs, ie view cube stops responding to clicks, the file tab along the top goes goofy, random "Fatal Error and Must Close", after saving a drawing and re-opening it objects will be out of place, but the grips still in the correct location (this was also happening in my 2014), there's a major problem with rotating the UCS which I'm part of in this thread: UCS Problem, etc, etc.  Seems to be all the bugs in 2014 (and probably 2013) that never got fixed (surprised?) and more added....

[nrz13]

I can't argue on the bugs.  The program is crashing less for me, but each new version of AutoCAD adds far more bugs than it fixes, with 2015 being the worst (or most blatant, anyway) in my memory.

[botman]

Seems pretty normal 3D drawings as you describe, no funny stuff there (which is ok, please don´t get me wrong!) or other new features.

As far as I can compare we work pretty much the same regarding the menu's and docks, I'm a an empty-sceen-anthousiast also...

I can't relate for as far as 2013 and 2014 are concerned since these version were both bad for me (actually my work but eventually me...)

The AMD/NVIDIA-issues are tricky and diverse and may vary from workstation to workstation. Still strange since this certified-thingy is just as much as a good (or bad?) joke. My Quadro FX4800 is certified. I even used older but certified drivers. No luck there.... Tried the hot-fix, came out it was a cold-fix 'cause no luck there. Should I buy another graphics-card? Neh..... 

I think AutoCAD has become bloated and being to "heavy" on the mouse. When I heard serious effort would be put in to fixing the performance and bugs I was really enthousiast but you can image the dissapointment on my side looking at this version. I'll put a minor hope things will get better using the update to come but you never can tell, can you...

I won't say the development team isn't working on AutoCAD, I will say the're developing on lees important / non-issues like look and feel. Come on guys, please lift the hood and fix the fuel-injection and turbo rather then placing some fancy alloys and a "tough-looking" striping.....

Surprise the (well paying) users with a blazing fast CAD-program. I'm just trying to get my work done here.....

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately Autodesk has never, and will never listen to us (even they will keep saying that they are).  As long as I have been an AutoCad user (way back on Version 11 DOS), AutoCAD's new releases were great!  Every new release seemed to have something new to actually HELP with productivity - then came AutoCad 2006!!! (just as a side note, so far in all the versions I've been on, 2005 gets my vote for the best!). Ever since AutoCad 2006 and the introduction of the "Christmas Tree" effect, they stopped with actual useful enhancements/fixes and decided from there on in - it's all how fancy and video card taxing they can make it. Why do I say they never have listened to us? Because ever since AutoCad 2006 users have been begging, crying, to stop with the graphical crap - and here comes AutoCad 2015 - and what did we get that actually helps production? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!! (unless you want to count the fencing window which should have been intergrated YEARS ago). I'll stop here before I go on another rant....  

[botman]

Hearhear! You're a person I can listen to, you took the words right out of my mouth (borrowed that one from Meatlove). Dont know where you live but I'd like to buy you a beer!

All the same here with me (and all my collegues) apart from the Christmas Tree effect. This is know as "Jesus, even more Disney then last year" effect.

Started with Acad 10 - DOS-style and having seen all versions so far this is definitaly a complete new Disney-world at its own.

A few years ago AutoDesk literally shouted: "We heard you!!". Sorry guys, you actually didn't hear us at all...

Sorry for the true developers who are sincere and would like to change but aren't allowed because of the failing management. 

At this moment we are looking at other software to replace AutoCAD, Revit, 3DS Max and Showcase, all being used at our firm.

And this is no rant but a guarantee....

We heard you.....dont make me laugh.....

[Anonymous]

AutoDesk here's a suggestion for you - how about we stop with the graphics, for at least just one release.  Focus on issues, and maybe, just maybe strip out the un-needed bloat that is still in there!! For example (botman, are you ready for reminiscing) why, oh why is the "Dim MODE" still in there? What do I mean? - type in "Dim" like we had to back in the DOS days!!! I realize DOS has only been dead for a couple of years and my great grandfather is still up in the attic using AutoCAD but the user base now doesn't even know that this "MODE" even existed!!! How about the great DVIEW (I still run this once in awhile just to see that house again) Again.... WHY!!! Who has EVER used that since the DOS days!!! And I know most people now in days use the shift-middle mouse button to rotate their view, but dear GOD - please, please do NOT get rid of VPOINT!!! I prefer that SO much better!! I understand backward compatibility - but do you REALLY still need to be backwards compatible to version 1??

and yes botman, these commands actually still do exist and work, and after you go try them again to bring back some old memories, then you'll start to cry realizing that these commands actually still do exist..... 

[botman]

Hahaha, you already made my day but now you're king forever!

But still: All is true and AutoCAD really is a jammed-up warehouse packed with obsolete variables and commands (you can still fire up the good old TRIM command en use FENCE from point to point.....why indeed!)

More then fully agreed upon stripping AutoCAD to get rid of obsolete history (now introducing the all new variable ACADHIST??) and maybe we can enjoy working with AutoCAD once again. Hey, I'm in favour for sure!!

I mean really: Together with DOS I got rid of the digitizer tablet ages ago, but you're still able to connect this coffee-table shaped thingy. (How about that for reminiscing Yorx!) I think most older CAD-users transformed these unbreakable devices into roofs for garden sheds....

Oh well, we surely have something to wish for don't we? Maybe a trip to Disneyland can help us keeping faith in a proper solution, call me a sceptic....