Delay in accessing toolpath parameters new to x4

[Josh Kinney -Elite Engineering]

I'm about 2 seconds for "common parameters" and about 8 seconds for "parameters" on a simple 2-d contour toolpath........

[goldhntr]

Josh,

 

The thing that had the most impact for me was updating the video drivers. I have an Nvidia Card and I downloaded the updated driver directly from their web site. I uninstalled the previous driver before I installed the new one. This step may not be neccessary, but that's the way I roll. Still have a 2+ second delay, but a vast improvement from the 8 you are experiencing. I was having any where from 5-10 seconds of delay before I updated the driver. There was also some stability issues that seem to have been resolved.

[Chris Rizzo]

quote:

---

there has to be a common demoninator

somewhere.

---

X4

 

 

[Greg Williams]

Maybe this is an NVIDIA thing, I have an ATI card and I have no delay of about 1/2 second so nothing really

[goldhntr]

More info regarding this Parameter delay. I am not sure whether this is exclusive to NVIDIA, but here is my most recent discovery. I have gotten this delay to be no more than 2 seconds, UNLESS I have Pro-E open at the same time. Then the length of the delay grows with the number of Part windows that are open. 4 Pro-E part windows will increase the delay to 10 seconds. Now some of you will say “Don’t do that”. My response would be. “This wasn’t a problem at all, until X4 came along.” I could have 7 or 8 Pro-E part windows open and Mastercam’s performance would not be impacted at all. The nature of my job dictates that I have at least one Pro-E window open with Mastercam, more likely it would be two or three. This is the design software our design crew uses. Anyone out there, with this problem, that has a workable solution?

FYI

I have 2 GB of RAM on both of my computers. One has a video card with 256MB of ram and the other has 128MB of ram. The problem exists on both of them.

[Josh Kinney -Elite Engineering]

goldhntr,

Thanks for the advice, I installed the latest drivers and now I'm around 3-seconds, still slow but muuuuuuch better.

 

Thanks,

 

Josh.

[Jack Sierra Cad/Cam]

Check to see if your multi threading option is on in your settings/ config/toolpaths. I've found if its left on and not in use it slows the system down considerably and crashes verify occasionally.

[gcode]

I wonder if the video performance settings

have any effect on the delay.

I run with video performance

set at "max performance" and have 1 sec or less delay

 

Maybe some of you guys who are experiencing

3+ seconds could try this and see if it helps???

[goldhntr]

I have tried changing the video performance setting to “max performance” and I have disabled the multithreading option in the Toolpath page of the System Configuration. There is no difference in the delay. It is totally dependent on how many windows are open. Particularly if multiple window of Pro-E are open. With three or four Pro-E windows open the delay can be upwards to 10+ seconds or more. I should mention that when I open there Parameter page of a Surfacing operation there is almost no delay. This behaves exactly as it did in version X3 even with multiple windows of other software packages open. I noticed that the surfacing page has not received the “enhancements” that the contour and drilling operations have been subjected to.

 

I am having a hard time believing that this is problem that a few of us are being subjected to. I consider myself reasonably computer literate and although, the PC’s I am using are not necessarily “smokin”, they aren’t slugs either. See an earlier entry in this thread for a description of the equipment I am using.

 

I am noticing that the problem is particularly noticeable if it is opening to the leadin page of the Parameter window. They’re happens to be a fancy little interactive graphic on that view that provides absolutely no value.

 

I am concerned that the trend to make the software package look “cool” is going to continue. As I have stated earlier in this thread, I would much rather see the parameter window be larger, have more of the variables I am likely to change and less “bling”. These graphics take computational power, consume window space, and really don’t seem to provide anything accept slowing the process down.

 

Is anyone at CNC Software following this? It would be nice to see some comment.

[gcode]

goldhunter..

have you seen this thread.

peon has found a fix for his system..

maybe his discovery applies to your system as well

[goldhntr]

I already did what peon has suggested. I notice that many of the people, that are reporting no problems, have PC's that are better performers than mine. This is especially true when comes to the video card. They also seem to be using Vista or even Windows 7 instead of XP. I don't know if that matters. I have access to a Dell precision 690 xeon quad core with 4GB of ram and an nvidia FX3500 with 256MB of ram. I am going to load the software on that machine and see if it makes a difference.

 

I would like to again state that I am not happy with the trend towards a graphics intensive parameter page. I know that I am starting to sound like a whiner, but none of these problems existed prior to this latest move. You have a whole page dedicated to break thru, when all you have to do is put a minus value in the stock left on floor. The graphic that is associated with the toolpath type choice is a complete waste of space and, I am sure, part of the reason there is additional time required to load. What purpose does the interactive graphic on the leadin page provide? I am sure that we are all smart enough to know the difference between tangent and perpendicular. I know that this graphic is also part of the problem. I say this because I have seen some instability issues when this page is open and I am changing values in this page.

 

I have been a user of Mastercam for (I am showing my age) more than 20 years. In my career, I have had several opportunities to purchase seats of CAM software. Granted, because of familiarity, Mastercam has always had the edge when these opportunities to compare came around. That being said, Mastercam has always proven to be the right choice. I have always been pleased when a new version arrives, and there are some nice features with this new version. The feed per tooth and the surface feet calculator and the Quick View setting are nice examples. The visual cues for trimming and the chaining identical features are some others. There are more I have yet to explore. But I must say this trend in the parameter window is a disaster. More mouse clicks and slower responses, this is not good. I am hoping that this is being revisited.

 

I cannot say when I will get to this test with the better computer, but I will keep you posted. I will not be pleased if this solves the problem. What this will tell me, is my attempts to stay current with mastercam will likely force me to ask my employer for (significant) funds to replace two perfectly fine computers. Either that or tolerate the sometimes 10 sec delay when the parameter page needs to be opened. Neither of these are pleasant options.

[gcode]

I fthis delay is i fact caused by the paramter page eyecandy, maybe the solution is an "Expert" switch that turns it all off.

Due to unpoplular demmand, CNC is already looking at an off switch for the new trim preview feature.

There has been an expert switch for warnings

since V6 or V7... maybe they could add

trim preview and parameter page eyecandy to that switch.

I'm sure the eyecandy is a huge help to trainee's

( and me when I'm learning new stuff), but if its

slowing the top guns down, an "Expert" switch would solve the problem.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Just thinking out loud here for a second... humor me;

 

Any possibility "Show Tool Tips", "Use Learning Mode Prompts" and "Ribbon Bar Tooltip Delay" in MC's configuration on top of "Transition Effects" from Windows Display Properties could be affecting the delay some are seeing?

 

[ 10-01-2009, 04:05 PM: Message edited by: CNC Apps Guy 1 ]

[Leigh @ Kodiak]

quote:

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Windows Display Properties could be affecting the delay some are seeing?

---

I know that's not my problem. First thing I do with an XP install is turn all the fancy shmancy stuff off. I have only about a 1 second delay though...nothing like what others have mentioned.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

I'm with you. I turn that $#!+ off FIRST THING!!!.

 

I'm at less than a second delay.

[goldhntr]

Show tool tips was the only thing that I had on. I turned it of with no affect. I have tried several times to change "performance settings" to adjust to best performance. It has absolutely no affect. Three seconds on the computer in my shop is the best I get. This is the one with the less agressive video card. It quickly escalates to 8-10 seconds when I start opening part files in Pro-E. As I stated earlier, I could have as many as 8 to 10 Pro-E part files open with X3 and there would be no delay. I'm all over the "expert" switch. Gcode, your the man.

[MotorCityMinion]

I even gave up my window blinds and the XP style toolbars.

[peon]

Hmm,I have pro/e open in the background almost daily with no adverse effects. Pro/e had never seemed to be taxing on a video card in my experience.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Window Blinds... ouch! Man, that is a graphics resource HOG!!! I had it installed for about a week and I just couldn't handle it anymore. Looks cool but dayum you take a hit for it running graphical applications.

[MotorCityMinion]

Late night I see.

 

Not meaning to hijack. Yes, it is a resource hog but I run run my OS fairly bare bones. If I had a PC just for general use, no CAD apps, I'd be running WB for just for kicks. Biggest drawbacks for me with windowblinds was that the toolbars and tabs never seem to fit the same with the different skins on all apps. At home I use dual acer 22' wide screens. They are cheap monitors and the colors are slightly off between the 2 of them so I run with silver background and classic start menu to help even out the colors between the 2.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Yeah. It was. I was doing some design work in CATIA for a guy I contract for. It's nice to be able to keep my hand in doing design work.

[peon]

What are window blinds?

[MotorCityMinion]

"What are window blinds?"

 

A skinning app for windows. It changes the look of windows, kind of like themes on steroids. Often the skins are created by the community at large and can be buggy. Definitely a resource hog and is primarily eye candy. I use Rocket dock with XP, which is even more of a hog, but it doesn't skin your apps or change toolbar tabs and it doesn't hinder MC's performance, at least at my level of usage.

[goldhntr]

Peon,

 

I can't help but notice that your PC is much more than mine. Perhaps that is why you don't see any delay in the Parameter page. I am using two PC's (see an earlier entry for a description)and the one that has a better video card does perform slightly better. But neither machine is anything like the one you are using. (I also can't help but notice that you are a fellow Cheesehead, tough loss Monday night, but I feel optomistic)

[Thee Rickster ™]

With MU1, lag is now a part of my Mastercam experience.

 

Open a big file and with in minutes I have continuous 5 sec lag on every thing.

 

Start a simple file from scratch all new , non imported tools and I will get the 5second lag near the 30 meg mark. I go until it get really annoying and then reboot p.c.

 

I have rebooted 10x today 6x for lag.