Expert: Bob - 4/12/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hello Bob, I'm working on Autocad 2010. Problem I have is that whenever I go to layouts to see multiple viewports I get a message that I run out of memory and it crashes. Is there any way to get around it? My PC is almost brand new, I have 3GB installed and I cannot understand why Autocad eats so much of my RAM to regenerate viewports. I do have about 10 viewports per drawing and 10 drawings in total in one file. Would that be to much to cope for Autocad?

ANSWER: Hi--

To get started, here is what you left out that is important -- the main thing is that you ascribe potential weakness to AutoCAD, not to your machine (esp the graphics card) or problems with your drawings  (MUCH more likely) You also omitted how much of the RAM is being used by other applications.

A -- Have you checked on the Autodesk site to make sure the video card you have and the currently installed drivers are rated well for Acad 2010? Maybe you just need an updated driver. http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/cert?siteID=123112&id=16391880
(if you have integrated graphics, give the computer away, seriously)

B-- You omit the SIZE of the dwg files, whether you have a lot of images, xrefs, 3D, viewports set to HIDDEN, etc. If you are drawing small machine parts in 2D, its very different than large buildings with shaded views, hatching,etc.
Presumably you mean you have 10 drawing files in one folder, not 10 drawings in model space in one file, with 100 viewports?
One hopes you dont have LWT turned on.

It's late, and I forget the setting, but there is a setting or two concerning how much of the info in a viewport regens, and whether only the visible ones do??? Sorry, tired.

In other words, I can only point at typical causes, because you have not been clear on the specifics which actually cause crashes.  AutoCAD can handle HUGE numbers of viewports on the right machine.  

Last thought -- the 3 gigs of memory worries me a bit, because a machine MEANT for AutoCAD heavy work that is new might have more, and a machine with a great graphics card meant for heavy AutoCAD might have 6-8. Look in the Hardware Discussion Group for what people who do similar work to yours are suggesting. It might be cheaper to upgrade your machine than spend time on crashes.

That's the best I could do tonight to get you started.

Bob

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Bob. Thanks for quick reply. To be honest I did not expect to get any :). Apologies, this is the first time I'm asking for help. Perhaps I was not clear enough on first occasion.

I'll try to clarify points you have raised:
1) no other program is using my RAM i.e. 100% of my resources are dedicated for Autocad.
2) I have latest drivers and new graphic card. I can check what card exactly is it there but I'm sure hardware is not the problem.
3) size of the file is about 20MB. By elimination process I have worked out it is a viewport problem. I don't use any fancy stuff (xref, images, 3D, hatching etc.) and Autocad is still crashing. Simplest drawing with many viewports crashes.
4) by 10 drawings I meant that I have 10 separate layouts in one Autocad file. (Imagine: Model, Layout1, Layout2, Layout3, Layout4, Layout5, Layout6, Layout7, Layout8, Layout9, Layout10.) And each one has 10 viewport in it. This is the only way I can work now, because when I had 20 viewports in one layout it crashed.

To clarify I'll try to summarize my point:

I have a little program installed showing me the use or RAM any given second. The minute I go from model space into layouts and zoom out to see all my viewports available RAM drops to "0" of my recourses and then I get insufficient memory error. Usually, it takes about 20 viewports in one layout to crash. Is there any way to reduce amount of RAM needed to operate viewports?

Answer
Hi -- I have litterally 2 minutes

I didnt ask if you had the latest drivers, I asked if the ones you have and the graphics card are rated OK  by Autodesk for AutoCAD -- read it again

You should NOT be zooming out to see all vps when you open the layout -- you should have
doubleclicked the mouse to get "zoom extents" before you left the layout the last time,
to avoid taxing the system, and because it is the better way to work

20 megs and 100 viewports -- I personally think that is "pushing it" with 3 gig ram

lotsa hatching or SOMETHING is effing big, if that is a 2d file (again, you did not tell me if there is 3d, but 20 megs is very large even for 3d)

BUT -- I can tell if there is a house or a machine screw in each vp, you dont say

MUST GO -- but research the settings that tell Acad to not regen all the vps when you open the layout