Inventor loading RAM when zooming

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I have this issue only with one assembly. When I zoom, Inventor freeze for a few seconds (maybe 5 seconds) up to 2 minutes and load RAM at a rate of approximately 9 Mo/s.

For reference:

- Inventor after initial launch uses 178 Mo

- Inventor with this assembly freshly opened uses 4.7 Go (2072 occurences and 403 files)

I can reproduce this issue like this: I start zooming (in or out) with my 3D Connexion SpaceNavigator mouse, as soon as display stop changing and/or moving (meaning I release my 3D mouse), Inventor freezes and load RAM.

The issue isn't always occuring, I can zoom at a point without problem and later zoom again at this point and the issue occurs.

I saw today Inventor raise up to more than 15 Go RAM usage with this assembly opened! I closed the assembly and Inventor still uses 8 Go of RAM!

I have sometimes 2 or 3 Inventor running at the same time with assemblies as big as this one and all other assemblies doesn't have this issue.

Thank you for your help,

[karthur1]

I think the reason that the RAM usage is 8GB when you close it is because of the Tools>Application Option, Quick File Open.  With this selected, the last opened file is cached, thus taking up RAM.  Even with this unchecked, the RAM usage for my Inventor does not go all the way back to what it was when it is initially opened.

For the freezing when you zoom... on a large assembly, I see this too.  Maybe not to the extent of 2 minutes to wait, but some delay, especially on a large model.   Under Application Options, hardware tab, are you using the Performance setting?

You might try to reduce the amount it has to load by using Level of Detail.

[Anonymous]

karthur1,

Quick File Open already unchecked. Performance setting already selected. I'm already using LOD, Master LOD is 6995 occurences and 578 files.

As I said, I have many larger assemblies which don't show this issue. I work sometimes with an assembly having 35832 occurences and 2763 files (Master LOD) and everything is fine. I just opened this last one and Inventor uses "only" 7.5 Go RAM compare to the problematic assembly which has reached 14 Go RAM since I opened it yesterday afternoon. When I closed my 35k+ occurences assembly, its Inventor session RAM went down to 2.9 Go. But while it was open, I was able to zoom it (in or out) as much as I want without any lag!

My problematic assembly which is 57.3 Mo contains large part files like:

128.5 Mo as 1 Solid

112.8 Mo as 2 Solids

74.1 Mo as 1 Composite

40.9 Mo as 1 Solid

and smaller files all from suppliers.

Could it be related to my issue?

[karthur1]

The larger files might be causing the issue.  Just to see if they are causing the problem, suppress the large files in the LOD or delete them.  See if you still have the lag.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Sorry for the delay but I made many tests. Large files aren't the issue since I have small assemblies with the same problem.

Problem really looks like what I said in my original post. When I zoom in an assembly, "sometimes" Inventor freezes and "load the RAM" at a rate between 9 Mo/s up to 20 Mo/s. It does that sometimes for just a few seconds but sometimes it lasts more than 2 minutes which means it loads the RAM by 3-4Go! What is the most surprising is that just before it unfreezes, RAM unloads almost completely and instantly! But the longer I uses Inventor without restarting it (quit and restart), the more RAM loads up to a point where Inventor lags. Only solution is to stop Inventor and restart it.

I just had to restart Inventor a few minutes ago because it was lagging. Before I stop it, it's using 10Go RAM without any file opened (I looked at the indicator at bottom right). After I restart it, it's only using 177 Mo.

Issue really looks like RAM management from Inventor...

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I found the source of the problem: Perspective View. I stopped using this function 2 months ago and the problem is gone. Now I use it only when it's absolutely necessary. When I use it, I see RAM loading for no apparent reason.

Thanks.

[karthur1]

Do you mean the perspective view here?.... Interesting.

[Anonymous]

Exactly!

[Curtis_Waguespack]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Hi,

I found the source of the problem: Perspective View. I stopped using this function 2 months ago and the problem is gone. Now I use it only when it's absolutely necessary. When I use it, I see RAM loading for no apparent reason.

Thanks.

---

Hi eric.Gauthier,

If I recall correctly there is something with the silly Steering Wheel tool that causes memory issues as well. Might be related, or the same issue?

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

[Anonymous]

Hi Curtis,

I don't know, I don't use the Steering Wheel at all.

Regards,

[Curtis_Waguespack]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

.... I don't use the Steering Wheel at all.

---

Hi eric.Gauthier,

No one does.

But as I recall it still consumes some memory even if you never touch it. It has to do with it's Rewind function.

If you're curious, open your model and zoom in and out, orbit all around, pan here and there a few times, etc. Then open the Steering Wheel and click the Rewind button. You'll notice it has a little snapshot of all of these view changes, and has been recording them all along.

As far as I know, there is no way to disable it, or prevent it from doing this.

I thought maybe the Perspective view might be causing the Steering Wheel to do some extra "stuff", and that was what you were noticing.

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

[Anonymous]

Hi Curtis,

Since I'm curious I tried what you wrote and I think you're probably right with your explanation.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Curtis,

Usually, I don't work with drawings but these days I have to since our drafter is overloaded. I unfortunately found that this 'RAM loading issue' is present when working with drawings. I don't know what I could do since I don't use perspective in drawings. Any idea?

I saw working with drawings seems to load RAM dedicated to 'undo' function...

Thanks,

[Curtis_Waguespack]

Hi eric.gauthier,

I don't know of a "silver bullet" setting for this, but here are some links that address large assemblies and large assembly drawings for Inventor 2014:

• http://help.autodesk.com/view/INVNTOR/2014/ENU/?guid=GUID-8AE9820F-6A0A-43E8-9096-3435DDBC4DB0
• https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/inventor-products/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcartic...
• http://help.autodesk.com/view/INVNTOR/2014/ENU/?guid=GUID-564D4AF1-E566-490F-9491-BAAFD208F1BC
• http://beinginventive.typepad.com/files/inventor-deep-dive---large-assembly-instructions.pdf

Note too that I've read a recommendation concerning Level Of Details in drawings. If I recall correctly the idea is that if you use multiple LODs in you drawing views, for instance view 1 uses LOD1, and view 2 uses LOD2, that Inventor is actually loading the assembly twice. I think @swalton might be able to speak to this a bit more in depth.

This multiple LOD issue is a bit counter intuitive, since LODs are supposed to reduce memory overhead.

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com