Stuttering graphics when working with a solid model

[Chap54]

Hi-

 

I've been experiencing a degree of difficulty working with a customer's solid model. My computer here is an Intel dual core E8400 CPU, 4.0 gb of ram, and a Nvidia Quadro 1700. Also running windows XP., and Mastercam X4.

 

The problem comes when I try to get in to look at detail the computer just starts stuttering and it becomes very difficult to work with. Xform translate or rotate are just as bad, with it taking up to a couple minutes to complete the task.

 

Can I get some advice on what would be the best computer hardware for working with large solid models, approx. 20 mb file size.

 

Thanks,

 

Chap54

[Todd Tracey from Fastech]

Might look on the Solidworks site and see if they have a driver for the Quadro. Their drivers have solved a lot of issues for me

[Müřlıń®]

Hi-

 

I've been experiencing a degree of difficulty working with a customer's solid model. My computer here is an Intel dual core E8400 CPU, 4.0 gb of ram, and a Nvidia Quadro 1700. Also running windows XP., and Mastercam X4.

 

The problem comes when I try to get in to look at detail the computer just starts stuttering and it becomes very difficult to work with. Xform translate or rotate are just as bad, with it taking up to a couple minutes to complete the task.

 

Can I get some advice on what would be the best computer hardware for working with large solid models, approx. 20 mb file size.

 

Thanks,

 

Chap54

 

 

create/surfaces/from solid

 

Move surfs to another level.

 

Turn off the solid and render only surfaces.

 

Problem solved.

 

[Jayson Kramer]

create/surfaces/from solid

 

Move surfs to another level.

 

Turn off the solid and render only surfaces.

 

Problem solved.

You should not have to do that. really a better computer would help all his issues.

[Craig-B]

Try the ram saver under settings and save with different name.

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

A possible workaround would be to set your chord height to a larger number in shading settings. How big is your part and what's your chord height currently set at?

[Rotary Ninja]

Jay is right. You need a new PC. You could upgrade the CPU, video card and the memory. But you would need to put Windows 7 on it to use any more than 4GB of memory.

 

Tell me your budget and I will give you some ideas.

[Müřlıń®]

Jay is right. You need a new PC. You could upgrade the CPU, video card and the memory. But you would need to put Windows 7 on it to use any more than 4GB of memory.

 

Tell me your budget and I will give you some ideas.

 

Come on guys if he had a budget he wouldn't be running x 4.

 

You guys crack me up...

 

The solution I offered is the only viable 1 at the present time.

[gcode]

go to System Config/Screen... experiment with the "Number of entities for dynamic rotation setting"

This probably won't help with a shaded solid model.. but can do wonders for unshaded wireframe or unshaded solids.

[Rotary Ninja]

Looky Müřlıń®

 

...

Can I get some advice on what would be the best computer hardware for working with large solid models, approx. 20 mb file size.

 

Thanks,

 

Chap54

 

He asked, I was just confirming his questioning the fact that he needs a new PC. I have a Dell Precision M90 laptop pretty similar to his PC. I know how much it struggled before I retired it to the kids' room. And at the time, I only knew how to use surfaces.

[Jayson Kramer]

Come on guys if he had a budget he wouldn't be running x 4.

 

You guys crack me up...

 

The solution I offered is the only viable 1 at the present time.

Murlin I hear you.. but I am glad I crack you up.

[Müřlıń®]

Murlin I hear you.. but I am glad I crack you up.

 

 

rour......you know me I am CHEAP!

comes from being poor...

I always go for the thrifty solution

 

[q] Looky Müřlıń® [/q]

 

I know....I was just thinking more like what G was pointing out and a video card and not entire system...

[Jeremy Grigsby]

Can he just unshade to do the movement and shade in position?

[Rotary Ninja]

rour......you know me I am CHEAP!

comes from being poor...

I always go for the thrifty solution

 

I hear ya man. I am in the same boat and have to build my own PC's and try to get used parts whenever I can.

 

I know....I was just thinking more like what G was pointing out and a video card and not entire system...

 

Whether he wants to upgrade or buy a whole PC we could give better advice with a budget in mind. If all he has is a few hundred bucks then a video card may be his best bet. If he has a couple grand there are other options. If he is an employee he may be tied into using a Dell, HP, or whatever and he is screwed if he is on a tight budget. If he is a shop owner he has many options available to him.

[Chap54]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I tried the latest drivers, playing with the settings. All of it seemed to make little to no difference. My budget is tied into what my company decides, and I have no idea what that is. yet , anyway. Say it's $1500-2,000. Can I get a reasonable machine for that amount? Our company uses a business computer vendor, and unfortunately I think what we end up getting is used parts that are dated. The computer I am using was put together 3 months ago. (I'm a new employee here). So you can see by the specs that I think they are taking my company for a ride. I'd love to know what they paid for it. Maybe they are leasing.

 

If you had to work within the 2,000 limit, what would you buy? I'm perfectly capable of building a machine, and may be able to present to my boss a plan to do just that. After I showed them how the computer is, they ar econtemplating new computers for me and my co worker who is a solid works guy.

[Del.]

Have you tried disable front buffer on graphics screen in system configure?

[Chap54]

Just did now. Doesn't seem to matter either.

[gcode]

One thing you may want to try is to go to the Video performance page and

set it to Max performance.

This is free up some resources and may improve video performance

[gcode]

also try going to

System/Config/Shading and increase the "Chord Height"

Changing it to a large value will make the model look ragged around the edges

and increase video performance.. but it will have no effect on the accuracy of any toolpath

driven by the solid model

[Rotary Ninja]

You will probably get other suggestions, but here is a quick AMD system I put together. Depending on the actual budget you could change out the motherboard for maybe something a little better. But this is far from being a low level build. And all of these components are from good manufacturers. I know people on here probably don't prefer AMD, but the CPU I have listed here is very fast for the money. I am using an AMD system at home and it is faster than my i5 PC at work. And this PC would blow that away.

 

Motherboard - $89.99 ASUS M5A97 LE R2.0

CPU - $199.99 AMD FX-8350 Vishera 4.0GHz CPU

Memory - $114.99 CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866

Hard Drive (OS) - $129.99 Intel 520 Series Cherryville 120GB SSD

Storage Drive (Optional) - $89.99 Western Digital WD RE4 WD5003ABYX 500GB

Video Card - $419.00 PNY VCQ2000D-PB Quadro 2000D

PSU - $64.99 Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power

Case - $59.99 Corsair Carbide Series 200R

DVD - $19.99 ASUS 24X DVD Burner

Operating System - $139.99 Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit - OEM

Monitor - $159.99 ASUS VH232H Glossy Black 23"

 

Total price: $1488.90

 

The only things I didn't list is a mouse and keyboard and any other software you care to install.

[Chap54]

Thanks again for the suggestions. I changed the chord height to .1 from .002, boy it is ugly, and performacnce is still slow. It may be a tad faster, but not much. Video settings are set to max performance as well now.

 

I emailed my boss the suggested system configuration & price. That should start a conversation about how they aquire and how much they pay for the computers we have.

 

Thanks again.

[Rotary Ninja]

If they want to see a comparable Intel setup I'd be happy to share one of my builds I did for a friend awhile back.

[Müřlıń®]

I used to spend 10 grand a year on computers. But since I am not making that kind of money right now I have to do everything on the cheep.
I once said I would never buy another computer from a manufacturer, but I needed an upgrade bad and since I couldnt afford to build one I chose to buy a refurbished one.

Its several years old, but if anything breaks on it, it will only cost 100 bucks to repair it right down to the motherboard.
I have a couple brand new SATA's I am going to install and set up a Raid 1 and get rid of the Vista and install XP Pro and patch it up and image the partition before Windows discontinues support for XP.

I also found a coupon on the internet for another 20% off.

Not to bad for a little over 300 bucks...and I still have the system I am using now as a backup should the Dell go pop.

But I have a power supply on hand and the only thing that could go bad would be the motherboard and that is unlikely.

[Rotary Ninja]

I don't blame you. The Dell Precision is a good PC. I have used and owned them. Slap a good video card in it and away you go. I just recently retired a Dell Precision. It was a used PC I bought as a spare to fill the gap while I built the one I am on now, which is built from used parts. But I have slowly upgraded this PC with parts that are going into my new PC.

 

I just looked at that again Müřlıń®. That is a smokin' deal on a pretty nice PC.

[Müřlıń®]

I don't blame you. The Dell Precision is a good PC. I have used and owned them. Slap a good video card in it and away you go. I just recently retired a Dell Precision. It was a used PC I bought as a spare to fill the gap while I built the one I am on now, which is built from used parts. But I have slowly upgraded this PC with parts that are going into my new PC.

 

I just looked at that again Müřlıń®. That is a smokin' deal on a pretty nice PC.

 

Ya I thought so too...

 

Bought 2 22" windscreen lcd's for 70 each and hooked it all up today.

 

Not one pixel out on either screen....

 

Video card works great...left it on all day...power supply seems good.....

 

I'm a happy camper...can't wait to get the array up and bench it...