AC9 Library Speed Again

[Rod Jurich]

Greetings fellow Mac users,
I've posted in Working in AC, and have had suggested that I test on a faster 'box'. I have tested on a dual 1GB G4 and notice little difference to my box.

The query again for Mac users with similar hardware to mine.

Since upgrading from 8.1 I have been frustrated by the very slowness when switching views in the preview box in the door, window or object tools. This also applies when editing library parts, even very simple ones.

This happens either when using the default 9 Object Library or my own library. I rarely if ever load the default library.

The difference between 8.1 & 9 is so great not to go unnoticed. Has GS changed the program so much in 9, that the only way to enjoy it's capabilities is to dig into the kids Xmas fund again for a new G5. Or are you all lucky to own G5s already?

All/any input appreciated.

[Anonymous]

I have definitely notice the same problem.

Rip Weaver
Town Landscape Architect
The Town of Mt Laurel

Mac OSX Cube 500 mHz
Archicad 8.1/9.0

[Karl Ottenstein]

I see no noticeable delays on my G4.

I assume you're only loading libraries from your local disk. How much free space is on the disk? There seems to be a debate about whether OS X disks require defragmentation, but there also seems a consensus that performance degrades as the percentage of free space gets less than 20%.

(The dual G4 should not perform much different from yours, since only one processor is used by AC except when rendering with LW... although I suspect the bus/memory speed on the 1GHz G4 is slightly faster than the 933 G4 that you have, but didn't verify that.)

Karl

[Aussie John]

Rod Sorry for not responding to your PM but I ws a bit on the distracted side this week.

I note that Archicad seems to slow down over time and a restart of the app fixes things. Even just trying to select an object in the normal setting window can be slow.

I read somewhere that is had something to do with the video card but cant vouch for that info. Sometimes it seems as if the 3d generation slows down so obviously that isnt the video card.

As I said a restart clears things. Maybe it is a memory leak.

[Rod Jurich]

Karl wrote:
I see no noticeable delays on my G4.
I assume you're only loading libraries from your local disk....consensus that performance degrades as the percentage of free space gets less than 20%.

Karl, John appreciate your input. Use my G4 only for CAD. 60GB hard drive with about 18GB used, so I have plenty of space. I backup to ext 120GB drive.
I load only My_Library built up from 6 and refined/revised through various up grades. It has all I need for the most complex of projects. (And to add I have no layers titled 2D etc.) By that I mean I model only what is necessary to produce final documentation.
The first test I did was with My_Lib. Thinking that my parts were in some way "old" (Scripts needing revision) I unloaded it then loaded only the default 9 library reading from the .PLA. I could not believe what I was seeing. Slow would be the most polite description.
I run AC, PM, sometimes Word/Xcel, Acrobat, web browser together. But rarely do I run additional apps when doing serious docs. Run terminal to do regular maintenance, so my system has always run sweetly.
My son is in an office which runs G5s and soon to get 9 so I will try testing there.
I would love GS commenting on this. For if they have improved 9 to the degree that you need a G5 to enjoy it's potential, I just wish they would say so. You cannot believe the enthusiastic way I left our local promo late last year given the frustration we all went through 8/8.1. Other 'bugs', mostly minor, I can live with for the moment.
So all you other Mac users on similar hardware please comment.

[Rod Jurich]

Aussie wrote:
I note that Archicad seems to slow down over time and a restart of the app fixes things. Even just trying to select an object in the normal setting window can be slow.

Glad to get your response John, this time of year can be busy. You are too kind commenting that selection is slow. And restarting has no effect, it's slow straight out of the box.
I needed to do some minor revision to a library part and after altering 2D & 3D scripts the response in the preview window was such that at first I thought I'd made some fundamental error, even after checking my scripts. I cannot believe the out come. This was a stand alone part not requiring any Calling of macros etc.

[David Shorter]

Hi John
I use an eMac in the office and notice no appreciable slowness when open objects or their dialogues. This is true even when working on a 500mb pln file.
So I can't reproduce your problem
Can you send me one of the objects you are having the problems with?
And or any other details which might be appropriate
thanks
David Shorter
GRAPHISOFTAUSTRALIA

[Aussie John]

David wrote:
Hi John
I use an eMac in the office and notice no appreciable slowness when open objects or their dialogues. This is true even when working on a 500mb pln file.
So I can't reproduce your problem
Can you send me one of the objects you are having the problems with?
And or any other details which might be appropriate
thanks
David Shorter
GRAPHISOFTAUSTRALIA

Hi david, its not anyone particular object or file. Just every so often the library dialogues and selection actions slow right down. Actually I havent noticed it for a while, so maybe system/archicad updates have helped.

[__archiben]

there is always a noticeable delay when first opening the object tool after launching archiCAD, as compared to opening the object tool at any other time . . . but i don't think that's the problem with you guys. it may be related though . . .

~/archiben