How to stop existing ground contours regenerating

[Neilw_05]

I am frustrated with the constant delays while C3D processes existing ground contours while working in a drawing. I have tried turning on LevelOfDetail which helps a lot but it often causes the drawing to hang. The surface is DREF'd into all of our drawings. Since the contours are not changing, I don't need them to regenerate. Is there a way to stop this? 

[jroot]

Setting the Contour Smoothing to False in the style makes it go faster... but does not stop it from regen'ing.

What if the surface is locked, does it still regen?

[rl_jackson]

Have you tried turning the contours off (not displayed)?

[Neilw_05]

If we turn off the contours it is easily overlooked at plot time and we end up having to re-plot. That has happened already. I'll try locking to see if it helps. Can't do any testing right now.

[Joe-Bouza]

Convert DREF type and crop ont the part you need  😮

[Neilw_05]

LOL, this is the project that led me to the Dref variable. Unfortunately this project is a 2500 foot corridor so it is not really suitable for cropping.

[Neilw_05]

By the way, has anyone experienced hangs when using LevelOfDetail? This has happened on several projects now. I know it is the variable causing it because it stops when I turn it off.

[rl_jackson]

LOD has been disturbing since the very beginning. 😉

[tcorey]

Try using a Surface Snapshot.

[Joe-Bouza]

Of course.👍

[rl_jackson]

@tcorey I was going to suggest that but the help says with large surfaces not to do that. I've had extremely large files doing drone work and mms sucks the life out of C3D

[Joe-Bouza]

I concur. if crop and convert drefstyle is not aceptable

[Neilw_05]

Locking the surface and creating a snapshot does not help.

[hamedEWD2S]

We are having the same issue with large surface of a 3,000 Acres land and MMS files!

It really slows us down. If anyone can find a way to stop CAD from "Regenerating Contours" of the EG ground, that will save our lives.

[neilyj666]

Have you tried simplifying the surface with edge contraction and 70-80% point removal? It can take a bit of time but produces great results but be aware the Apply runs the smoothing one and Finish runs it again (just hitting Finish will run it one)

[Neilw_05]

That is a good suggestion. Still, why is the software constantly re-processing the contours? The surface hasn't changed. It is maddening.

[neilyj666]

Yes the constant updating is annoying but I suppose it has to be done due to the dynamic nature of the objects (my personal annoyance is that a simple Zoom or Pan triggers a change in the drawing and it has to be saved before certain operations are possible - surface smoothing being one).

I believe that efficiencies are the main development focus at the moment and this rebuilding would seem a good candidate. 

[Neilw_05]

It is more than annoying. It is a budget breaker. Some of these simple projects are taking far too long because of the performance issues with this software. Let's hope they are looking at this.

[Joe-Bouza]

Does the snap shot @tcorey  mentioned help? .. Since the original posting I have explored the use 

I have used snapshots to some success. the crop surface tool is very useful in reducing load

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/civil-3d/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2022/ENU/Civi...

https://civilimmersion.typepad.com/civil_immersion/2016/03/tool-for-tuesday-cropped-surfaces.html

[Neilw_05]

Snapshots is a no (see #13 above). I have used cropped surfaces on some larger sites. This is a problem on smaller sites that can't be cropped as well.