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MEP 2011 - fine at first, but very, very slow after a few weeks

16 REPLIES 16
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Message 1 of 17
SteveR...
4854 Views, 16 Replies

MEP 2011 - fine at first, but very, very slow after a few weeks

A couple of months ago we upgraded to 2011.  At first, its speed seemed like a major improvement over 2010.  There were some lags, but the software was useable.  After a few weeks, everyone in our office experienced the same problem...eventually 2011 became very, very slow.  Alt-Tab to change between files may take from 30 seconds to minutes to update the screen.  Opening files, closing files, and other similar actions also cause huge, huge delays, from tens of seconds to minutes.  This wastes a huge amount of our time.  What is the problem? 

16 REPLIES 16
Message 2 of 17
cdemick
in reply to: SteveR...

We are having the exact same issue here. Seems like anything that involves regenerating the drawing takes an excruciatingly long time to execute. Anybody have any solutions yet?

Message 3 of 17
BrucePanting
in reply to: SteveR...

I'm also experiencing the same issues.  Running Windows 7 64-bit on dual quad core Xeon processors with Nvidia Quadro 3700 video card.

Bruce Panting

Setup:
Intel Workstations S5000XVN
Dual -Quad Core 2.83 Xeon Processors
16Gb of Ram DDR2
NVidia Quadro 3700
Windows 7 64-bit OS
AutoCAD Revit MEP 2012

Novell Network
Message 4 of 17
EMTEHVAC
in reply to: SteveR...

We have the same problem with all users that they change from MEP 2010 to 2011, problems with MEP (very very slow in localhost machine) when you open some autocad files, is not posible to work;  problems with others programs as Adobe Acrobat Professional 9, Office 2007, etc, that was imposible to work and i decide to go back to the MEP 2010, and now we are working fine.

 

All is because you have running autopcad MEp 2011, if you close the autocad mep 2011, the rest of the programs runs normally.

 

In this moment i'm changing the versión for all users from MEP 2011 to MEP 2010

 

My pc:

Intel Xeon E5520 2.27 Ghz 12Gb RAM Nvida Quadro FX 1800 Windows 7  64 bits

 

The other users

Dell precision M6500 08 gb RAM Nvidia Quadro FX2800 Intel core i7 - 720QM 1.60ghz 6Mb Quad Core windows 7 64 bits

 

We are using MEP in Spain, and the users dont have support in spanish languaje, other problem.

 

Message 5 of 17
cgbe
in reply to: SteveR...

I am having the same problem with MEP2011.  A copy base point and paste original can take 5 minutes finish after running the paste original command.  Doing a simple copy and paste using the CO command takes a minium 15 seconds to copy and items with 1600 elements(lines).    To make a block out of that 1600 element unit takes again 15 seconds.  To copy that block,  instantaneous.

 

Saving a 980kb file in 2D mode takes 1.5 seconds.   Saving the same file in 3D wire or any other mode takes 10 to 12 seconds.    I can not imagine what will happen when I start modeling mechanical rooms and floors in 3D.  

 

My 3D connexion Space Navigator does not work very well either.   If I have not used it for a few minutes, it can take 15 to 20 seconds to wake up and move the drawing.   In a small drawing using as  zoom and pan tool,  it is amost useless.   Constant regeneration.    The folks at 3D connexion had a nice little app that latched into AutoCAD.  It worked well.  Autodesk decides to build it in directly and poof, it does not work properly anymore.  Autodesk, if you are going to take this in house, you are supposed to make an improvement.  Not break it.

 

My machine is a brand new  Dell Precision M6500 with 8 Gigs ram, I7 - Q820 processor, Nvidia M2800, Windows 7 64-Bit.  Not a slow machine.  Yes it is a notebook but it is a top of the line notebook.   My M6400 could run autocad 2008 with no problems, including large 3D models using Bentley Autoplant

 

Now to be fair we have a desk top here that is also running 2011 MEP and it does not have these problems.   However,  Autodesk is a big company charging extrodinarily large sums of money for its software.  You would think that they would test their software on multiple machines and platforms.   

 

So Autodesk,  what is the problem here.   Are these issues going to be fixed, or is there just going to be the typical single patch to 1/2 fix some of the issues and run off and issue 2012 for another $4K.  

Message 6 of 17
cgbe
in reply to: cgbe

Further to my previous post.

 

2 other issues.

 

1) XREFs take a long time to load

 

2) When I have multiple windows open and autocad is not visibile,  clicking on the Autocad program in the task bar does not bring the autocad application to the front.   I hear a bell sound and thats it.  The application gets focuse but it does not come to the front and if minimized, it does not restore.   If I want to bring it to the front then I have to right click  the item on the task bar and select close window from the available list.    OS is Windows 7.   All other program windows work as expected.

Message 7 of 17
cgbe
in reply to: cgbe

Here is a partial solution of you have the M6500 and FX2800M video card.   http://www.nvidia.com/object/autocad_pd_perf_drivers.html

 

I installed the performance driver and it helped a lot.  Fixed most of my problems.   Note that when you go into 3Dconfig it seems slow to get in, and slow to save any changes but it seems to fix slow saving, slow copying etc.  3D connexion performance seems to improve.

 

I will post again if there are further updates.

 

Colin

Message 8 of 17
Deftone01
in reply to: cgbe

Hi,

 

I am also experiencing the same problems. At first MEP 2011 was a dream to work with, during the last few days it has slowed down dramatically. Nothing has changed on my pc. I am doing reboots, killing unnecessary applications etc.


I am busy designing a Fire protection sprinkler system, before the slow-down it would be instantly connecting a range pipe into the main supply pipe, now that same command takes about 17 to 20 seconds!!!!! (don't know if the regeneration of the model is accountable for this?) 

 

My system specs: Intel Core i7 @ 2.67 GHz

     12 GB Memory

     Nvidia Quadro FX 1800

     Windows 7 (64-bit)

 

Is there a fix for this?

 

Not very happy at the moment with the (pricey) product. The performance seem to be slower than 2010.

 


Message 9 of 17
cgbe
in reply to: Deftone01

I must say that after a few days I can see that my fix was not a complete, but only a partial fix.   It is still generally slow, and in 3D mode it is not really useable.   Saving a 989KB file is a 15 to 20 second exersize.   Panning, rotating and zooming  with my 3D mouse dcan cause them to disappear altogether.   

 

I fell back to version 2009 MEP  and it is quite nimble on the same machine where 2011MEP is dead slow.. 

 

 

I am no expert in this kind of software development but perhaps 2011 is accessing the NVidia drivers in a way that makes it very slow.      

 

AutoCAD, are you listening here???  

 

 

Interesting to note that not all machines are affected.   If you are affected,  what is your graphics hardware

 

DELL M6500 

I7 1.73

Quadro  FX2800M

8 Gigs Ram

 

Colin

Message 10 of 17
cdemick
in reply to: cdemick

We are still having the same issues as everyone else, I have been e-mailing Autodesk back and forth for a while now, along with another tech support provider and no luck. We are going to fall back to 2010 also.

 

95% of the computers in our office are using the I7 290 and running Windows XP 64 bit Pro all with 8 Gigs of Ram. Our video cards vary...

 

GeForce 9800GTX+

GeForce GTX 275

GeForce GTX 275 x2 (SLI)

Quadro FX 3700

 

All computers are suffering tremendous Regen times when switching views, viewports, plotting, reloading Xrefs, and switching drawings (CTRL-TAB method). This release of AutoCAD reminds me of when Microsoft first released Vista... only AutoCAD costs a lot more!! How do we get a refund...?

Message 11 of 17
Benno1986
in reply to: SteveR...

I am running AutoCAD MEP 2011

 

This program is running Very slow.

 

On Windows XP 32 bit, I could open a drawing no issues (apart from low memory errors).

I then switched to Windows 7 64 bit (same PC) and the drawing wouldnt have memory errors, but it would take approx 3-5 minutes to open, and 3 minutes to switch between paper spaces.

 

The specs for this PC were

 

Intel Quad Core 2.66gHz

4GB Ram

Nvidia Gefore 9600 GT

 

I then convinced my company to supply a new PC with a Quadro card, thinking that it was the GPU that could not process quick enough.

 

My new PC is

 

HP Z400 PC

Intel Zeon 2.56 gHz Dual Core

9gb Ram

Nvidia Quadro FX580.

 

And I am having the same issues.

 

Initially I thought it could be true type fonts, Though I changed all fonts back to a standard CAD Font, and the same issues are still there.

 

Is there any soluition available for this??

 

Cheers,

 

Ben

Message 12 of 17
bcusano3
in reply to: cgbe

worked for me!!!

 

Barry

Message 13 of 17
Slacker247
in reply to: Benno1986

   Ok just installed 2011 2 days ago.  After using for 1 day I noticed the file sizes where getting stupidly large.  A 70MB file in 2010 becomes 250MB in 2011 with out adding pipe or fittings, just adding pitch to lines and general fixed. 

 

   Then trying to find out just what's going on.  I open same 250MB file backup in 2010 and save with out so much as zooming in or out.  File size get reduced by 100MB or so.

 

So my problem is keeping file size down,  because when it get 100MB and over it starts taking me over 3 min just to save,  open, or close file.

 

   To make sure that I am perfectly clear the size of the file is not a concern as far as hard drive space as it is a performance issues a big one. 

 

 

   Peace

   Chinery

Chinery
Pipefitter/Welder/Plumber
Mechanical Cad Operator
UA Local 190
“We do it right, the first time.”
.....
Message 14 of 17
EMTEHVAC
in reply to: Benno1986

I have had the same problem, files originall size was 8 mb and when i change view (zoom and rendered view) go to 600 mb or more, of course with some draftners working in the same server, the network run very slow.

 

 

Message 15 of 17
cgbe
in reply to: EMTEHVAC

2011 was useless on my dell m6500 with 8 gig ram , i7-820 processor and m2800fx

slow, crashed etc.

 

one day I stopped looking at it as acad problem and looked at it as a windows problem

Windows 7 has indexing, outlook has indexing, there is the aero graphics...  and then all the extra services running...

 

I killed outlook indexing.  I killed windows search indexing, and followed the instructions on these websites to speed up windows 7.  XP has the same problems BTW.

 

http://www.blackviper.com/Windows_7/servicecfg.htm

http://www.computingunleashed.com/speed-up-windows-7-ultimate-guide-to.html

 

and finally I ditched the NVIDIA performance driver which stopped 98% of the crashes.    2011 mep works now problem free for the last 10 days.  3d mouse works,  not as good as 3D connexion but it works,  does not crash and is usable.   2011 will never be a race horse, more like tired coal pony, and I will go back to 2011 as soon as I can, but for now I need to use 2011 and I can.

 

Cheers and I hope this helps you guys.

Message 16 of 17
mark.silcock
in reply to: SteveR...

I was having big trobble using 2011, alt-tab between open files wouldnt work it would go into not responding mode then send me back to the original drawing i was in.

 

Tried new drivers etc and no improvement.

 

What i did try that has made a big impact for me is turn off hardware acceleration. Which goes against the grain but maybe the CPU can do a better job than overpriced Quadro cards.

 

try and see if it helps.

Message 17 of 17
_Lemmy_
in reply to: SteveR...

Hi,

 

What im posting generally applies to environments where you are accessing files off a network server.

 

We've been dealing with a Autodesk "bug" in MEP 2011 and 2012 that causes high network traffic between a windows 7 and a windows 2008(r2) server.

 

In a nutshell, workstations connecting to the server cause high network traffic causing overall access to be slow. Autodesk is aware of this bug, but as of yet nothing has been released.

 

specifically, this is tied to SMB v2 between the workstation and the server. There is a workaround to disable SMB v2 on the server and workstation. This was not an option for us because of all our other servers. I've been told there is an alpha patch available, but have not tested it yet.

 

as a sideline, our general experience with slow files are linked to improperly setup drawings, specifically with drive mappings that are in the drawing but no longer available.

 

some links: http://blog.jtbworld.com/2011/06/sheet-set-manager-performance-issue.html

 

 

here is  more information

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/06/network-performance-issue-when-using-smb-ver-2.ht...

 

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