Ram or video card issue?

[Anonymous]

We're running Dell dual core computers (about 1.5 yrs old), 2gb ram, Nvideo Quadro FX 3500 256mb with WinXP Pro on our workstations at work (my home computer is shown in signature).

I've noticed in some larger files (can't offhand remember the file size) where we've had several buildings on a site that it becomes painfully slow to move the view, either pan or rotate. I will move the mouse toward the desired location, and then have to wait for the computer to catch up, then move it a little more....

What is the limiting factor...the 2gb ram or the video card, or maybe something else?

[Karl Ottenstein]

Could be high polygon count, which AC just cannot cope well with regardless of hardware. Run the Polycount add-on to see what your numbers look like. (Mentioned in various recent threads.)

I saw a case in a commercial project where 1700 windows were set to 'detailed' for 3D display, even though none of them would ever be seen close up. Brought things to a crawl. Even in such a case, if there is a perspective view with a few windows in the foreground, only they need to be set at 'detailed'.

Cheers,
Karl

[Anonymous]

I did run a polycount...was somewhere around 500,000. Seemed like around 300,000 all wall well, but as it got to around 500,000 polys that it started crawling.

I'll have to do some searches to see what else I/we can do to keep it down.

[Dwight]

You CAN reduce OpenGL rendering features to lighten the load:

3D View Mode>3D window Settings>Options.

AND

reducing rendering distance and fps

[Anonymous]

I'll check out the OpenGL settings as well. In the meantime, just by setting the windows and doors to "simple", with the exception of those visible in the view, and turning off all the lights (daylight scene), my polycount was reduced 40%. Most of the load is in the 3D Profiler objects...about 75% of the polys. For the 2D profiles we've been using the complex walls...easier to use and manage than 2D Profiler, also less polys. My biggest issue with Archicad as a 3D modelr is with the 3D Profiler and its objects...IMO is cumbersome to use and they don't respond satisfactorily to the hidden line 2D images (elevations, sections) in the 2D construction docs. Have to redraw all those in 2D