AutoCAD - Publishing to PDF - Multi sheets - Crash

[G00388167]

Hello everyone,

I am aware this seems to be quite a common problem and have carried some researches before posting this message.

I will try to give you as many elements as I can and already thank anyone who will try to help.

When publishing to PDF a relatively heavy drawing, in the background or in the foreground, the Memory keeps climbing until saturation before all sheets are published, then AutoCAD crash.

Below the characteristics of the computer I am using :

- Windows 10 Enterprise 1909 / 64 bits

- Processor Intel Xeon

- RAM 16,0 GB

- GPU NVIDIA Quadro K620

The Autocad version is 2019.1.2.

This problem is happening with many different drawings but to give you an idea, below are the characteristics of one where this issue occurs :

- Drawing : 1.85MB

- 15 Xref, overlayed, total size 40.73MB

- Drawing and Xref have been Purged / Audited

- 31 sheets, crash when reaching around the 20th

- Plotter used it DWG to PDF.pc3

- Message usually displayed after publishing crash "FATAL ERROR: Unhandled e06d7363h Exception at A8CEA799h", sometimes just closes itself automatically, or freezes.

I also had a look here with probably the exact same issue but none of the solutions proposed have been helpful

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Publis...

That should give you a good bit of elements, please feel free to ask for more information.

Now this problem raises several questions :

- Is it normal ? Are the files just too big and AutoCAD 2019 cannot handle publishing 20 sheets+

- If this is not normal, what could cause this issue ?

- Why does this Memory keeps filling up during publishing, is there a way to "release" it during the process ?

An obvious solution would be to add more RAM I suppose, but AutoCAD system requirements mention 16GB should be enough.

Thank you for reading me.

[murray-clack]

Before plotting, try using the RECOVERALL command on every file containing the Layout tabs you want to plot.  One of the drawings and/or XREFs may be corrupt.  After running RECOVERALL, you will get a  report outlining which drawing(s) had errors.

[G00388167]

Thank you for your response but sadly it didn't work.

I've run RECOVERALL on the drawing and the log didn't seem to highlight any error.

I still have tried to publish and the Memory raised up until crash at sheet 20/31.

Fun fact, I was anticipating the crash and the force closure of this webpage and Ctrl+C the above message. But once everything closed and used Ctrl+V here, I pasted the message below instead :

Fatal error: [File:D:/Build/++Portal+Release-Live+Compile/Sync/Engine/Source/Runtime/Core/Private/GenericPlatform/GenericPlatformMemory.cpp] [Line: 186]
Ran out of memory allocating 69632 bytes with alignment 0

Maybe that could help. Any other ideas ?

[DanielSanders4280]

A couple of ideas, hopefully might be a help:

1) Are you using a named page setup to publish with? If not, try setting one up using AutoCAD pdf (General Documentation).pc3 >how to set up<

2)Is your Windows installation in a language other than English? If yes, this may help >hotfix<

3) If you are "publishing in the background" try not using that feature, it may help

If none help, let us know, someone else may have other ideas...

[G00388167]

Thank you for your help.

1. I am using a name page setup, it is using DWG to PDF.pc3 so I tried with AutoCAD pdf (General Documentation).pc3 without success.

2. My Windows installation is in English, I will request to download this hotfix to see if that brings any help.

3. I tried both several times, without success.

I appreciate the effort, feel free to bring new propositions.

[DanielSanders4280]

The hotfix is for installations other than English, so I doubt that will help.

A couple of other questions: if you try to plot single sheets using your named page setup, does that work?

If indeed there is a memory shortage issue (doesn't seem like the value you list, 69632 bytes should cause any issues at all), what other software do you have running at the same time as AutoCAD? Have you tried with nothing but just AutoCAD active?

Is the destination for the pdf on your local PC or on a network?

Have you tried it to your local drive if it is failing on a network? (completely disconnect from network as a test)

If all else fails, try removing or disabling  any add-ons you have installed, or resetting AutoCAD to defaults (export your settings first >instructions<)

If none of these work, maybe try removing and re-installing AutoCAD.....

I am about out of ideas....

[G00388167]

Thanks for coming back to me Daniel !

- If I try to plot single sheets, assuming you mean one by one, that will work. Or I can plot ~15 sheets then close AutoCAD, plot ~15 sheets again and combine, that works like that but it becomes painful for drawings with lots of layouts.

- I experiences the same issue with nothing else than AutoCAD active.

- Also tried the experience only to my local drive, no success.

I forgot to mention something important, sorry about that, but that issue is happening with basically all machines and not only mine. I'm not sure then if resetting AutoCAD and add-ons will help. I can ask IT but that may take a few days.

The fact this problem is not only on my machine may help the investigation, what is your opinion ?

[DanielSanders4280]

I agree you will need to get your IT folks involved, there is almost certainly a network issue (or network-stored/accessed files related to AutoCAD) "at or near the heart of the problem"

If you disconnect from your network, and try to publish to your local drive, does that work?

If yes, then it *probably* isn't related to your local installation of AutoCAD, unless there is a setting, add-on, etc common to all machines that have the issue, missing from those that don't.

I am pretty much out of ideas- sorry.

[G00388167]

There is no need to apologise, thanks for trying !

So I made a copy of my file and all his Xrefs in my local drive and disconnected from the network.

Sadly, nothing changed and the publishing crashed around the same usual sheet number. The memory filled up until crash. So it really seems that trhe network has nothing to do with it.

An other piece of the puzzle which may be useful. I realised when I publish 15 sheets, the momory fills up at usual but when the publishing is done, it stays the same. Than means if I leave my file opened and try to publish the 15 next sheets, it will crash after only 4-5 sheets plotted. To "release" this Memory, I have to close and reopen AutoCAD, then I can publish 15 sheets again, and so on.

I'm going to investigate to see if some machines are not affected with this issue, so for now it is more likely to be a setting, add-on ?

Please find attached snips of the Task manager Performance showing the Memory building up. Maybe that will help !

Thank you again for your time.

[G00388167]

I just found this topic : https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-forum/plot-publish-crashing-cad-attribute-block-is-problem-so...

Looks interesting, the problem could match the Windows 10 Enterprise udpate we had last December, as it has been an ongoing issue for a while.

Seems worth the try to change this .ttf file they mention and cross my fingers.

[DanielSanders4280]

If you are using that font, you may have found your culprit.

Just out of curiosity, what are you using as anti-malware/anti-virus?

You may want to add AutoCAD as an exception (whitelist)-I use Windows defender with the  controlled folder access enabled. I had to add an exclusion for ACAD to even open & save files....different A/V programs may block different app features.... A long time ago I also had to set Trend Micro antivirus to ignore ACAD.

Also out of curiosity, have you checked & cleared your temp files/folders?

[G00388167]

I hope that's the one yes, have to wait a few days until the IT folks give me a hand on that.

The antivirus is Sophos. I don't know if that one is known to block some AutoCAD feature app ?

I haven't thought about checking the Temp files/folder. Just cleaned it up now, had around 17 GB in there !

I tried to publish again but sadly still the same issue for now.

[G00388167]

Small update :

Still haven't manage to get IT to work on this, hopefully next week.

While looking more in details into the Font issue option, I found this which could help, I will try to run those solution with them.

Until then, finger crossed, and I will update this post once we move on.

Meanwhile, feel free to drop comments and suggestions.

Cheers

[G00388167]

Small update :

Still haven't manage to get IT to work on this, hopefully next week.

While looking more in details into the Font issue option, I found this which could help, I will try to run those solution with them.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Crash-...

Until then, finger crossed, and I will update this post once we move on.

Meanwhile, feel free to drop comments and suggestions.

Cheers

[G00388167]

An other update, it seems I'm probably going to the wrong direction.

I tried several tests including:

- Changing all Text styles to the same Arial TrueType in main drawing + Xref -> same issue

- Removing all Text in Main file, Xref & Blocks within those files -> same issue

It makes me thing my Font issue idea is probably not the good one and the mystery remains.

When I "play" around removing some Xref, it seems quite clear that the Vector Mapping Xref and the Keyplan Xref are causing the most wrong but their size is respectively 13.8MB and 9.6MB. The VM includes many objects (polylines, blocks) and a portion of it is included in the Keyplan as a block.

Because the VM includes lots of text, I thought this Font issue could fit perfectly as the perfect cause, but after removing all text, it sadly didn't work.

I am running out of options, seems strange nobody else experienced a similar problem, I must be missing something simple, am I ?

Thanks again for your help which is very welcome !

[G00388167]

Still no progress here, and I can see my post is slowly diging in this forum, so I suppose I am going to keep talking to myself to bring it up and hope for some new ideas on this issue. Everyone is welcome to share their point of view, thank you.

[DanielSanders4280]

I may have missed it, but did you ever verify if anyone else in your office has the same issue, or are you "the lone ranger"? If you alone, have you tried:

1) reset AutoCAD to defaults?

2) logging in as a new Windows user, and/or using a fresh profile in AutoCAD?

(sounds like your IT folks may need to assist in some of this...company-managed workstations?)

That's about the only other ideas I have, sorry.