topic Re: Interface lag when selecting items in AutoCAD Forum

Interface lag when selecting items

nbonnett-murphy — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 19:26:26 GMT

Hello, I'm struggling with interface lag when selecting and deselecting items. Specifically, the cursor freezes for half a second as the properties panel refreshes. This is extremely frustrating, as it affects my speed and precision with nearly every operation I do in autocad.

I can solve the issue by closing the properties panel, but having it open is integral to my workflow. I don't want to have to select something, open the properties, then close it every time I make a change.

I've tried all the solutions posted here: https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Optimize-Performance-within-Windows-7-Environments.html

It mentions turning off quickproperties, which I take as an admission that it is poorly optimized.

Is there any way I can have the properties panel open and not experience cursor freezes? I would like to have both quickproperties and acceptable performance. Has anyone had this problem and managed to fix it?

Re: Interface lag when selecting items

paullimapa — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 01:44:13 GMT

see if the following changes help:

At command prompt enter:

GFXDX12

Thats a zero, close & restart AutoCAD

If still no good, at command prompt enter:

GRAPHICSCONFIG

Select another option under 2D Display Settings

Re: Interface lag when selecting items

TheCADnoob — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 21:38:24 GMT

What is the composition of the drawing? (is it a simple electrical termination drawing or is it every floor overlapped in a 50 story building?)

how big is the file?

Are there xrefs? (if so are they on local machine or network?)

Re: Interface lag when selecting items

nbonnett-murphy — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 18:46:47 GMT

No change when turning off DX12 or when switching to basic mode in graphicsconfig. Those seem to affect the graphics area, whereas my problem seems related to drawing the user interface. Maybe those aren't different systems, but it doesn't seem to be system resource related.

Re: Interface lag when selecting items

nbonnett-murphy — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 18:47:51 GMT

It's the same no matter what drawing I use. A brand new drawing with a single line has the same problem. The cursor freezes when I select the line, as the quickproperties panel redraws.

Re: Interface lag when selecting items

paullimapa — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 18:57:35 GMT

What version of Autocad are you running? Enter About command, do a screenshot & share that here.

1. Try starting in safemode:

https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-launch-an-AutoCAD-Product-without-any-plug-ins-or-add-ons.html

2. Try resetting:

https://help.autodesk.com/view/fusion360/ENU/?caas=caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-reset-AutoCAD-to-defaults.html

3. Try creating a new Windows login profile with local admin rights, then login to that Windows profile & launch AutoCAD.

Re: Interface lag when selecting items

pendean — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 19:42:34 GMT

@nbonnett-murphy So... is this a new setup? New PC? New AutoCAD? New mouse? New Windows? New video card? New updates? New drivers? New Office/Old PC? New Server/old PC?

Any chance this used to not be an issue but it is now?

When did AutoCAD not do this for you last?

Did you open a support ticket with Autodesk yet? Schedule a call back time, give them access to your PC, see what they come up with for a fix.

Here are the ways to open a support case with Autodesk if you are on subscription to seek out Autodesk Support's help:
https://www.autodesk.com/support/account/manage/use/support#:~:text=com/plans.-,Contact%20support,-Select%20a%20path

Re: Interface lag when selecting items

nbonnett-murphy — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 19:57:58 GMT

Here's my about.

Here is also my system information. For graphics I have an RTX 3080.

Starting in safemode (with the shortcut options method) - no change

Resetting - no change. On a side note, what's the system variable to make it so that you click-drag-release instead of click-move-click for box selecting items? I can never google that successfully.

New user profile - standby on that one, I'll need IT approval. My current account does have admin rights though.

It's definitely the properties panel. The length of the lag is proportional to the number of properties shown in that panel. For example, selecting a dimension results in a longer lag than selecting a simple line or circle. It's slow enough that I can see the panel clearing then refreshing from top to bottom. I've added a short video to show the behavior. It's as if cursor rendering stops while the panel refreshes, then the cursor jumps to the new position. It's especially egregious when selecting dimensions.

Re: Interface lag when selecting items

paullimapa — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 20:05:47 GMT

Are you referring to lasso selection

https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-turn-on-off-Lasso-feature-in-AutoCAD-2015.html

Re: Interface lag when selecting items

nbonnett-murphy — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 20:32:45 GMT

No, I'm not sure why it's so hard for me to explain, sorry. With autocad defaults, you click and release to initiate a window select, then move the mouse, then click again to complete the selection. My preferred options allow me to click-drag-release to get the same behavior. One mouse click instead of 2. I normally keep lasso selection turned off. In any case, I was able to restore my configuration to get that back.

Re: Interface lag when selecting items

paullimapa — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 20:49:45 GMT

That setting is here:

Re: Interface lag when selecting items

nbonnett-murphy — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 20:58:47 GMT

Autocad's been doing this since I started at this job a few years ago. The last time I used it without the issue would have been around 2010 or so, since I used draftsight at the job in between. So in that sense, it is a new setup. I know that doesn't give very much to go on, it's an extremely frustrating thing to try and chase down.

It's not a show-stopper, but just one of those small issues that really bothers me over time. I'll try and open a support ticket, thanks.

Re: Interface lag when selecting items

paullimapa — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 21:04:25 GMT

Are you running multiple screens? If yes, try only using one screen to see if that makes a difference.

Re: Interface lag when selecting items

TheCADnoob — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 14:47:43 GMT

Looking at the video, I can see what you are talking about, and I can duplicate your issue. That said, the lag time is very small. It's comparable to many file system operations that use right-click on my machine. I understand any lag can be an annoyance, but on my machine, I have never noticed this before. (now ill probably see it all the time haha)

If the selection lag is a big enough issue, I would just work with the palette turned off. You can bring it up quickly with Ctrl+1.

I work with it open all the time as well, and have never had (or noticed rather) the issue with the lag time. Granted, the stuff I'm working on is a little different and doesn't involve many dimensions.

This is purely speculation on why it freezes, but my guess is that the freeze time is due to the fact that the program cannot have any further input until the query of the item properties is done. Disabling controls ensures that another item is not grabbed mid-operation, which could cause a crash. The reason something like a dimension takes longer is that it's a more complicated element, and there is more data in the element's properties. It stands to reason that if it has to retrieve more data in its query, it'll take longer.

Have you ever seen anyone's setup that doesn't have this lag?

Something you may be able to see is if there are any third-party plugins that may be able to help. See if there are any third-party properties, palettes, etc.. @AVCPlugins has one on the store but I don't know if it would help.

Re: Interface lag when selecting items

pendean — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 15:39:36 GMT

@nbonnett-murphy wrote:
Autocad's been doing this since I started at this job a few years ago...

Wow! I've never seen it do it that slowly here. Sorry. There is a flash/split second when the pop-up screen does refresh after a selection, but yours is significantly slower.

Where do you all store your files exactly? And how is your workstation connected to that location? I'm trying to figure out what I can do to get the same results as you.

Re: Interface lag when selecting items

AVCPlugins — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 17:01:09 GMT

There really is an alternative AVC Properties Palette. This palette has many useful functions that are not available in the standard properties panel. But it is programmed in .Net and therefore works even slower than the standard panel. So this is not a solution to your problem.

All these lags occur exclusively because of the single-threaded outdated AutoCAD engine. It is impossible to create a program that will slowly read the properties of objects in the background in a parallel thread on another processor core, and the user would continue to draw a drawing at that time. Alas. The program is forced to interrupt the user's work, read all the data to the end and format them and redraw the panel and only after that give the user the opportunity to do something else.