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Memory Problems

Memory Problems

Memory Problems

(OP)
   I am working on a large project and I am crashing SolidWorks several times a day.  Each crash takes something like a half hour plus to reload.  Sometimes the system explicitly states that it was run out of memory.  Other times, it just hangs up, and I have to kill the process from Task Manager.

   My model has 3958 components attached to it, with 732 parts and 281 sub-assemblies being unique.  I have 571 top level mates.  

   My work directory is 1.28GB in size, and I probably have most of the files in it loaded.  It is on my local hard drive.  

   I have attached files from elsewhere on our network, and their size may be significant, I am not sure.  I know this is bad practise, but there is nothing I can do about it.  

   My computer has 4GB of RAM installed.  According to Task Manager, I have 3538460KB RAM total, with something like 1.4GB used by SolidWorks.  As of this moment, when SolidWorks claims it is unable to obtain required memory, Task Manager claims to have 1247384K memory available.  1.9GB of page file is being used.  

   After SolidWorks shuts down, my Available memory increased to 2.9GB, and the page file dropped to 600MB.

   The OS is Windows XP, and it was installed several years ago.

   I suspect that I am running out of RAM well short of my machine's 3GB+ capacity, but the articles I found on the internet are not clear on how to interpret Task Manager.  Our sysadmin guys are telling me to put a service request in to SolidWorks.  

   Is anyone else here running large files like this?  How stable are you, and how fast does your system run?

   I am trying to figure out of this is a SolidWorks problem, or a machine configuration problem.

                           JHG

RE: Memory Problems

I have a Dell M90. I recieved this message yesterday from my employer:
"Some M90 systems upon assembly at the dell factory received NVIDIA 2500M video adapters that may have been built with faulty memory supplied by Samsung".

I have had some minor issues, but they are becoming more frequent.

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 06/08
ctopher's home (updated Apr 30, 2008)

RE: Memory Problems

Some of our largest assys have over 5500 components each (and only 38-40 top level mates).  We were having similar problems with our old machines (we had 4Gb ram installed & the 3Gb switch) running 32-bit Windows XP Pro.  We have since upgraded to new machines running 64-bit XP, and have 8Gb ram installed.  We can now open the assy in about 10min across our network.  With the new machines, we were finaly able to create a top level of 2 of the large assy.  With the 32-bit systems, we couldn't even dream of it.

CSWP
SolidWorks 2007 SP5.0/2008 SP3.1
2xDual-Core AMD OPTERON 280 / 8GB Ram
Quadro FX3450
3DConnexion SpaceNavigator
 

RE: Memory Problems

I had similar issues running under XP32 for the past five months. I logged approximately 24 crashes/out-of-memory incidents from mid-March to 5/27 (kept a log). My scenario is designing on the network (not locally)and without PDM Works. Made the decision not to tinker with the 3Gb switch under XP32. On 5/28 I switched to XP64 and have been crash free since!  Granted it's only been a litle over a week and my assemblies are relatively small - 100 to 400 components (some complex shapes) typical - but I'm already sold on the virtue of 64 bits for SolidWorks.

   finisher

Dell T3400
Intel Core Duo
E6850 - 3.00 GHz
4Gb RAM - XP 64 Pro
SW 2008 SP 3.1
Nvidia FX1500

 

RE: Memory Problems

If you use the /3GB switch, check your graphics card to make sure you don't also need to add something like uservar:2900 (or whatever) to compensate or tweak for on-card memory as well.

I've got 4GB of RAM and have never had a memory issue with this system, frequently getting my RAM consumption up as high as 2.0GB (not as high as yours).  Go much more than that, and you'll need to switch to a 64-bit OS.  (Can you believe we don't have a very suitable mainstream OS to run in 64 bits in 2008?  Amazing.)

 

Jeff Mowry
www.industrialdesignhaus.com
What did you dream?  It's all right--we told you what to dream.
    --Pink Floyd, Welcome to the Machine

RE: Memory Problems

try running clean disk.  It has help a lot when working on large assy.

Chris

RE: Memory Problems

Anything over 300 top level mates will cause instability and performance degradation. I would say that is why you are having some of the problems. It used to state it in the help to not exceed 300 Top-level mates.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP pc2
www.scottjbaugh.com

Quote:

"If it's not broke, Don't fix it!"
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies

RE: Memory Problems

go to www.download.com and download, install Crap Cleaner.  Clean you computer of all the extra crap you dont need, run degrag a couple of times until it wont let you anymore, run registry fix in crap cleaner.  reboot computer and it should be much faster than before.

cleaning out the computer and freeing up resources/disk space/etc always makes the machines speed up a little more.  hope that helps.

SW2008 Office Pro SP3.1
Intel Core 2 Duo CPU
2.2GHz, 2.00GB RAM
QuadroFX 3700
SpacePilot/SpaceNavigator  

RE: Memory Problems

Scott,
    A star for you. Over 300 top level mates is our number one reason for slow assemblies and crashing. The second one is springs and lead screws which has been fixed.
 

Bradley
SolidWorks Pro 2008 x64, SP4.0EV2
PDMWorks Workgroup, SolidWorks BOM,
Dell XPS Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU
3.00 GHz, 5 GB RAM, Virtual memory 10240 MB,
nVidia Quadro FX 3400
e-mail is Lotus Notes

RE: Memory Problems

(OP)
Bradley,

Quote:

... The second one is springs and lead screws...

  Helixes (Helices?)?

                        JHG

RE: Memory Problems

drawoh,
    Yes Helixes (Helices?) Big memory hog.
We used them for a couple lead screws.
Big mistake, never did need the detail.
 

Bradley
SolidWorks Pro 2008 x64, SP4.0EV2
PDMWorks Workgroup, SolidWorks BOM,
Dell XPS Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU
3.00 GHz, 5 GB RAM, Virtual memory 10240 MB,
nVidia Quadro FX 3400
e-mail is Lotus Notes

RE: Memory Problems

Brad,

If you are creating components that require detail (for the components drawings), create a second configuration that is a simplified representation of the component that can be used in the asm. This will allow you to load more components if they are simplified. and you will have the robustness of a complete design....

If you have any further questions or concerns please advise...

Take care & have fun!

Kevin
"Hell, there are no rules here -- we're trying to accomplish something." - Thomas A. Edison  

RE: Memory Problems

(OP)
KBeitel,

   I have done lead screws with two configurations, with and without the helix lead.  

   When I do coil springs, I do a revolve.  This is good enough to make a clear assembly drawing.

                       JHG

RE: Memory Problems

Kevin
We did call our spring fix "simplified".
Thanks  

Bradley
SolidWorks Pro 2008 x64, SP4.0EV2
PDMWorks Workgroup, SolidWorks BOM,
Dell XPS Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU
3.00 GHz, 5 GB RAM, Virtual memory 10240 MB,
nVidia Quadro FX 3400
e-mail is Lotus Notes

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