Rendering dialog "Save to Project" and "Export" tools: Usage limitations?

[Keebrevo1951]

Short version of question:
Is there a limit to the number of times the Rendering tool can be fully used on a project (student version of RAC2010)? (i.e. "fully" meaning not only "render" using the Rendering dialog on the View Control bar at the bottom of a 3D camera view, but also either "save to project" or "export" after the rendering process is complete.) In the practice project which I am using to learn about the rendering capabilities, I used the rendering dialog box (including "save..." or "export" tools) about ten (10) times before it stopped working. If there are limitations to the student version, is there a document where I can see a list of them?

Long version with more info:
I was experimenting with and learning about the capabilities of the rendering tool (RAC2010 - student version being used by a still unemployed architect learning Revit [thank you, Autodesk, it's a great program.]) and was making progress when the "Export" button stopped working. At the same time, the "Save to Project" tool stopped working. These buttons "felt" like they were working (the PC "chirped" because of increased CPU usage, etc.) but the exported file never appeared in the folder that I sent it to, and after a save-to-project the new view did not appear in the Revit project browser (and the naming box did not pop-up.) I tried it several times with no success. I closed Revit, restarted my PC, opened Revit, rendering it again, tried both the "export" and "save to project" buttons, and still nothing. I only have 2gigs of RAM so I thought that might be the problem; my practice file is about 38megs and is mostly a topo surface that I created, but I created several small "buildings" in separate files (each building is mainly consisting of exterior walls, roofs, and some floors with no detail on any of them) and linked them into my topo "project". The links haven't added much size to the topo file and it's now about 40megs. I "simplified" the topo surface using the Revit tool, but that didn't change it much (knocked out about 250 kilobytes.) I'm going to add some RAM this week; probably 1 or 2gigs (which will give me 3 or 4gigs total) depending on how much my PC board can access and use effectively. However, I noticed a discussion group thread from someone else having the same problem with these two buttons on the Rendering menu, and that person has 3gigs of RAM so I don't think that RAM is the problem (that person's thread had not been replied to by anyone else yet.) Revit seems to be rendering the camera views well, the "Export" and "Save to Project" buttons appear to be active, but as mentioned above they don't return any results.

I opened one of the other little files I created (less than 3megs) and tried to render one of them. The system allowed me to use the "export" button and the "save to project" button on that "project", and both of the buttons returned the anticipated results (added a "rendered view" to the renderings in the project browser and a jpeg to the file I sent it to. I'm starting to think that maybe Autodesk limits the number of rendering "exports" and "save to project" attempts per project. I doubt it, but if so, if anyone knows where a place where I can see a list of limitations on the student version of Revit, please direct me to it. I need to know if what appears to be an unresponsive tool is simply a programmed limitation.

Note to Autodesk: Thanks again for your student programs. When I become employed again (hopefully soon), it will be with a company using Revit or one that is strongly considering a switch from CAD to Revit. I'm a CAD person from the late 80's: the days of Intergraph's APDP on DEC equipment, then PC version of Bentley's MicroStation, and then switched to AutoCAD and ADT3.3. Revit 2010 is the best!

Thanks in advance for any help on the above problem.

[vector2]

i doubt student versions of revit have changed since
i had one for revit 8- but i don't think revit EVER limited
the number of saves.. the only difference with the
student version from the full version was that it printed
with watermarks and probably still does..

as for it seeming like it exported but didn't export-
i suspect you didn't save it to the place you thought
you did.. or some other "ghost"..

[Keebrevo1951]

Thanks for the response Vector2. It might be a ghost. Are there any ghostbusters out there?
It worked fine up to a point and then just stopped working in that project file.
I searched my four drives for the file names I used (using wildcards and the jpg extension because I could only remember part of the names) but didn't find any files. The search returned a bunch of shortcuts in a "Revit-1265" folder (C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\RAC 2010\Recent\Revit-1265) which looks like one of a set of folders for shortcut files. The shortcuts to the files that I can't find are in this folder but when I double click on them they return an error message: "The item that this shortcut refers to has been changed or moved, so this shortcut will no longer work properly." Actually some of the earlier files that were saved were located by double-clicking, but I already knew where those files were. Since I searched all four of my drives I believe the file might have been created and then auto-deleted.
I'm sure I didn't keyin the wrong path. I'm pretty meticulous about key-boarding file names and paths, especially when I'm trying to solve a problem.
I think you're right about usage limitations not being the problem on those two buttons ("Export" and "Save to Project") on the Rendering dialog box. I'm still at a loss as to why they stopped working.
Thanks.

[Anonymous]

You should contact the Autodesk Assistance Program, which is allowing use of
the Student Version for those that are out of work. they may be able to
help get you in contact with someone that can answer questions about the
Student Version. You may also want to try students.autodesk.com

As far as I know, Student Versions are fully functional and only stop
functioning after 13 months. (They are 13 month long licenses). So I would
make sure that you are on a "licensed" student verion (i realize it's free,
but there is still a license code to be used). Were you using it for 30
days and then the problem happened? Can you save anything? Can you export
to DWG? If not, you may have run out of the "30 day Free Trial" and need
to get a student license to continue.

"Keebrevo1951" wrote in message news:6355055@discussion.autodesk.com...
Thanks for the response Vector2. It might be a ghost. Are there any
ghostbusters out there?
It worked fine up to a point and then just stopped working in that project
file.
I searched my four drives for the file names I used (using wildcards and the
jpg extension because I could only remember part of the names) but didn't
find any files. The search returned a bunch of shortcuts in a "Revit-1265"
folder (C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\RAC
2010\Recent\Revit-1265) which looks like one of a set of folders for
shortcut files. The shortcuts to the files that I can't find are in this
folder but when I double click on them they return an error message: "The
item that this shortcut refers to has been changed or moved, so this
shortcut will no longer work properly." Actually some of the earlier files
that were saved were located by double-clicking, but I already knew where
those files were. Since I searched all four of my drives I believe the file
might have been created and then auto-deleted.
I'm sure I didn't keyin the wrong path. I'm pretty meticulous about
key-boarding file names and paths, especially when I'm trying to solve a
problem.
I think you're right about usage limitations not being the problem on those
two buttons ("Export" and "Save to Project") on the Rendering dialog box.
I'm still at a loss as to why they stopped working.
Thanks.

[Keebrevo1951]

Thanks Scott,
I will try to contact AAP and the students.autodesk.com site.
To answer your questions:
Yes I have a licensed student copy that is good for 13 months. I looked up the Product License Information and it says the license expiration date is Sunday, November 21, 2010. I downloaded, installed, and registered it last fall.
I've been using it since October and with the exception of this problem with the Rendering dialog's "Export" button and "Save to Project" button, It's been working great.
Yes, I can save everything in the file except the rendered images. I can "save as" to another file name.
Yes, after receiving your response, I tried to export to DWG and it worked fine. That's the first time I tried that but had no problem with it.
Also, when I was looking up the License Info I saw a button on that dialog box that calls up the License Agreement. I clicked on it to see if any of the functionality limitations were causing this problem, but those limitations were basically disclaimers that didn't involve specific Revit tools or functionality.
Thanks, again. I'm sure AAP will be able to send me in the right direction.
Keeb~51

[raalvare]

When doing renderings sometimes the system runs out of memory and will not allow you to save out the rendering image to file. This is basically a bug which is creating a memory hole. Restart Revit (if not the whole computer) and the memory should be cleared allowing you to save the renderings.

Edited by: raalvare on Mar 18, 2010 6:39 PM Edited by: raalvare on Mar 18, 2010 6:41 PM

[Keebrevo1951]

Thanks for the insight, Raalvare.

I did try that (reboot (even from a cold start a couple of times)) and it didn't seem to help. Yesterday I upgraded my RAM to 4gigs (previously I was at 2gigs) of which 3.25 gigs are usuable since I'm running XP Home Edition. It's strange that the rendering process finishes and a complete image is displayed on my monitor screen (i.e. the hard part is done) but the elementary capability of saving to project/exporting to a jpeg becomes disjunctional. I have heard about a 3G switch, but I'm not a software "code" guy so I've stayed away from it thus far. I'm not sure if it would resovle this issue anyway.

I think you're right. It's a "bug".
One other person in an earlier response said it might be a "ghost".

[spilon]

The exact same thing is happening to me!

[dplumb_BWBR]

Once upon a time, the Student version was "fully functional." It did everything a regular version did, except that it put a watermark on the plots. If you made a family with the Student version and used it on your "legitimate" version, the watermark would show up there.  And was nearly impossible to get rid of.

Just wondering if the Student version still does the watermark? I'm afraid to try it.

[loboarch]

---

@dplumb_BWBR wrote:

Once upon a time, the Student version was "fully functional." It did everything a regular version did, except that it put a watermark on the plots. If you made a family with the Student version and used it on your "legitimate" version, the watermark would show up there.  And was nearly impossible to get rid of.

Just wondering if the Student version still does the watermark? I'm afraid to try it.

---

Plotting from an educational version still leaves a watermark on the border.  Otherwise, it is fully functional.

[dplumb_BWBR]

Wow, that was quick!

Thanks, Jeff.

What about bringing a "student" family in to the office? Does the watermark transfer into the project? Or is the watermark only on the Student machine, and doesn't go with the file?

I'm investigating this because (hooray!) we're starting to hire people back again, and several of them had taken classes or took advantage to the "Displaced Worker" program.  I'm worried that if they created a really cool family at home, they might bring it in to work and screw up one of our office projects.

[loboarch]

---

@dplumb_BWBR wrote:

Wow, that was quick!

Thanks, Jeff.

What about bringing a "student" family in to the office? Does the watermark transfer into the project? Or is the watermark only on the Student machine, and doesn't go with the file?

I'm investigating this because (hooray!) we're starting to hire people back again, and several of them had taken classes or took advantage to the "Displaced Worker" program.  I'm worried that if they created a really cool family at home, they might bring it in to work and screw up one of our office projects.

---

Content developed on a student version of Revit does NOT carry the watermark with it the way a DWG file does.  Of course authoring in a student version and using for commercial work is "technically" a violation of the student license agreement.

On the bright side I am glad to hear you are starting to hire again.  You know I am a Minnesota guy (you are too right?), and I have plenty of Architect friends in the Minneapolis St. Paul area who could use good news.