Gcode previews out of memory or slow

[ChairmanNow]

This is for Windows, version 1.1.0.

Symptom: loading the gcode that Creator produces from the attached STL file either makes the preview UI extremely unresponsive, or results in a low memory error (which suggests reverting to low detail).

How to reproduce: load two copies of the attached STL file, and then slice with the attached .FFF file.

Note: I've got a pretty fast machine, a Quadro video card and 24 gigs of memory. Um, how about a 64-bit version for Windows?

CM

[Simplify3D]

Hey CM,

Thanks for the message. Let me offer a few suggestions. First, just so you know, if you ever want to share an STL model and the associated FFF processes, you can just go to File > Save Factory File As. The .factory file that it creates will include all STLs, processes, placement information, support structures, etc. It basically lets us recreate exactly what you were trying to do and as a bonus it's a very optimally compressed file so it saves hard drive space as well.

I also noticed that your FFF temperature settings have the "This is a heated platform" option turned ON for both the primary extruder and heated bed. This should only be enabled for the heated bed. This should be turned OFF for the primary extruder.

Now about the problem you were having, I went ahead and tried slicing that STL on a few machines we have here. Using the high-detail preview, it usually required around 2GB of memory to preview. Using the low-detail previews it was significantly reduced to about 600MB of memory to preview. There is over 1.1 million lines of code in the G-Code file it creates, so it is expected that it will take a decent amount of memory to preview. On Windows we usually start to see out of memory problems around 2-3GB, so what you're seeing is what I would expect. Your suggestion about moving to a completely 64-bit version is definitely a good one, and something we've been working on for awhile. Right now some of the tools we are using don't offer support for it but we've been promised that would be coming soon. Once it's possible for us to compile everything for a 64-bit architecture, we'll definitely do it! In the meantime, you'll have to settle with switching to low-detail previews for these very large G-Code files (see Tools > Options).

PS - Sounds like quite a machine you have there! Very jealous

[ChairmanNow]

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the quick and informative response.

The machine isn't all that - it's an ancient i7 quad core, but it is stuffed with memory and a Quadro that someone sold me for peanuts. Don't be too jealous I will say that it's better to have a slower machine with gobs of memory rather than a fast one with less.

I hate to say it, but I've been forced to dust off Repetier to preview the Gcode. Repetier is able to digest it without issue, FYI - not surprising, since it installed a 64-bit version. Hope that you guys can get your 64-bit Windows version out before long - that tray is one my less complicated designs.

Thanks for the tips on the .fff and the Factory file.

[Simplify3D]

Did you try switching to the "Low detail" preview mode? Go to Tools > Options, and then choose "Low detail". Make sure to make this change before you click the Preview button to load the G-Code.

Repetier uses something similar to our low detail preview model so the two should have fairly comparable memory consumption if you make the above switch. We chose to offer a much more useful, physically realistic preview with the downside that you may have to make this switch every once and awhile.