Civil3D Performance

The minimum system requirements for Civil 3D 2010 have increased significantly and, as
expected, so have the number of memory‐related support cases. Civil 3D 2010 takes up a larger
memory footprint than previous releases and Autodesk developers are currently reviewing how
the program utilizes its memory.

1. Out of Memory Errors

If the memory footprint for Civil 3D exceeds 2 GB (regardless of how much memory is in the
system) Windows will terminate the program. This is a limitation of 32‐bit computing.

Typically, 32‐bit operating systems allocate 2 GB of total memory to all open applications
regardless of how much memory is installed in the machine. Any additional installed
memory is reserved for the operating system.

That total allocation can be increased to 3 GB by implementing a /3GB switch in Windows.

This is the maximum amount of memory that can be allocated in a 32‐bit environment. In a
64‐bit system the memory allocation has been increased and out of memory scenarios will
be less common.

Although preliminary Autodesk testing on the /3gb configuration found some improvement
in performance when working with larger datasets it should also be noted that there were
some reported instances of performance degradation using the switch, specifically on
drawings containing large images. (I don’t know what large means anymore so I can’t give
you a guideline to follow.)

Attempts to use the Windows Task Manager as a memory gauge may not provide
information quickly enough to avert out of memory errors. The Task Manager displays
information in almost real time, sometimes showing memory usage in the 1.4 GB ‐ 1.8 GB
range when an application is actually hitting the 2 GB operating system limit.

2. Causes
Memory errors can occur during any process. Typical scenarios include: processes involving
a large number of objects or files; working with files that contain large images; and even
executing normal drawing functions if other applications are running. Repeatedly using the
UNDO function involving complex objects such as grading groups or corridors will almost
certainly fail. The following list details some of the most common causes.

2.1 Drawing files are too complex

Drawings that include multiple XREFs, multiple layouts, large raster images, large
amounts of purge‐able data, or large amounts of XClipping and/or Wipeouts will tax
system resources.
 Temporarily unload XREFs and images not necessary for the immediate procedure
and purge all drawing files (including XREFs) to remove any junk data.

2.2 Drawing corruption

Corruption, purge‐able data and unreferenced application signatures can cause a
drawing file to use more memory than expected. Audit and Purge all drawing files.
Try to use the “‐Purge” command with the RegApps option to purge unreferenced
application signatures.

2.3 Bad memory or insufficient system resources

The operating system should have at least 4GB of total memory available (this is
physical RAM + virtual memory). At least 2GB of this should be physical memory for
optimum performance. Ensure these systems have 2GB of RAM as well as at least
2GB of virtual memory allocated.

Bad blocks in RAM can cause the system to fail with memory errors even if sufficient
resources exist. You might consider swapping the physical memory sticks with a
machine that is not experiencing these errors to see if this affects the problem.

3. Recommended Solutions

Following are a few ideas on how to gain more memory and/or maximize the available
memory. If a 32‐bit machine repeated breeches the expanded memory limit you should
consider moving to a 64‐bit environment.

3.1 Install more RAM. With more RAM Windows dependence on the swap file is
reduced and performance increases.

3.2 Check the space available on the hard disk drive. Not only is space needed for
various temporary files, but it is also needed for the Windows swap file. If your
swap file is dynamic (grows and shrinks in size as needed) then freeing up space by
deleting files or removing programs you no longer need will give the swap file more
room to grow. If the swap file size is static (does not change), then freeing up more
space on the hard drive will allow you to adjust the size of the swap file.

3.3 Check and adjust system swap file settings. When Windows runs out of available
RAM, it writes some of the information in RAM to the swap file so it can clear that
area of RAM and reuse it. If you prefer a static swap file, you may need to increase
the maximum size of your swap file to avoid the out of memory errors. See
Autodesk related solutions, Windows Help, and the resource guide for your
operating system for more information about performance and how to configure
the swap file.

3.4 Install Product Updates (i.e. Service Packs). Here’s the link:
 http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=13620951&linkID=92
40698

3.5 Close unnecessary applications. Identify programs that are running and close those
not needed for your current application. The operating system allocates RAM to all
open applications – not just the active application. Use the Windows Task Manager
(CTRL+ALT+DEL) to identify running applications and processes and click End Task to
shut down any unnecessary applications.

3.6 FDOs. Consider linking to images as FDOs (Feature Data Objects) rather than using
the Map > Image > Insert command.

3.7 Reduce the amount of information you are working with. Simplify the drawing.
Avoid hatching large areas. Unload unnecessary images and/or XREFs. Avoid
excessive use of TrueType based text. Close all drawings not necessary for the
current task.

3.8 Set LAYOUTREGENCTL = 0. Default = 1. This system variable can improve

performance by not saving the layout tabs to memory. When LAYOUTREGENCTL is
set to 1 or 2, the amount of additional memory used is the size of the Model tab's
display list multiplied by the number of viewports in each layout for which the
display list is saved.

3.9 Empty TEMP folder. Empty your temp folder on a regular basis.

3.10 Set FIELDEVAL = 4. Default = 31. Fields are only evaluated on plotting thus saving
from constant regens.

3.11 Set INDEXCTL = 2. Default = 0. This will index the drawing making any further work
in it much quicker.

3.12 Layout REGEN options. Set the Layout Regen options to Cache model tab and last
layout. The drawing will not regenerate each time layouts are switched.

3.13 Adjust display performance. On the advanced tab of the System Properties set
Visual Effects to Adjust for best performance.

3.14 Use the /3 GB switch. The following document describes the 3GB Switch in
Windows. This document was written for Revit but applies to AutoCAD,
Architecture and Civil 3D. The published document can be downloaded from this
link http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=TS1060353. Ensure to read the
“Conclusion” to add “/3GB /Userva=2900” variables.
 3.15 Set LAYERDLGMODE = 0. Default = 1.

3.16 Close Ribbon menu (RIBBONCLOSE) .

3.17 Set LAYEREVAL = 0. Default = 1.

4. Other Helpful Tips for Civil 3D

4.1 Turn off the Event Viewer and Autosave features to improve Civil 3D performance.

4.2 When creating a new Surface initially choose the Border Only option and only apply
the desired Surface Style when required (this will improve Civil 3D speed and
performance).

4.3 Having “No Display” style or similar for other heavy duty objects is another idea.

4.4 If you’re running Civil3D whole day re‐booting your computer at Lunch will help in
better performance.

4.5 Have a separate folder for temporary drawing file location under “options” file tab
and say “c3dtemp” for example.

4.6 3DCONFIG settings for display device and get the latest Autodesk certified display
driver.

5. Windows XP settings:
5.1 Go to windows control panel "system"advanced tab.
5.2 Go to performance "settings", visual effects and "Adjust for best performance".
5.3 Go to the “Advanced” tab and increase the virtual memory.

6. Complete and Forward Customer Error Reports (CERs).

Should an abnormal termination of the program occur the user will be prompted to
complete a brief customer error report and forward it to Autodesk. A hardware/software
assessment is performed at the same time and forwarded with the CER.

The CER and assessment and are read at Autodesk to determine an appropriate action.
Recommendations to install software service packs and hot fixes are the most common but
they may, in some cases, recommend hardware upgrades or request data sets for testing.

7. Civil 3D 2010 System Requirements

Recommended configuration (excluding server components used with project management

capabilities):
• Microsoft® Windows Vista® Ultimate/Business/Enterprise or Microsoft® Windows® XP
SP2 or SP3. Microsoft Windows XP 64 and Windows Vista 64 are supported in 32‐bit
compatibility mode only.
• Intel® Pentium® 4 or AMD Athlon® dual‐core processor, 3 GHz or higher with SSE2
technology
• 4 GB RAM – suggested /3GB switch (on 32 bit operating systems). Refer to Section 3.14
explained previously.
• 7 GB disk space, 2 GB free after installation
• 1,280 x 1,024 display with true color, 1,600 x 1,200 or greater recommended (OpenGL®
accelerator with full OGL ICD support not required), 32‐bit color video display adapter
(true color), 128 MB or greater, Direct3D®‐capable workstation‐class graphics card.
Multiple monitors are supported.
• Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 7.0 or later.
• DVD drive