7 replies to this topic

[Bill Beatson]

Hi,

 

When I view a Sketched/Rendered 3D image and rotate the image by holding down the wheel and moving the mouse, the image dissolves into wire frame so I can't view the rendered image. Is that a PC or a graphics card problem?

 

I'm using SP v14 and Windows 7 with dual core processors and NVIDIA GeForce 6200LE graphics card.

 

Any comments most welcome.

Thanks

[Steve Haarmann]

All 3d modes other than "rendered" mode use the graphics card for processing.

The Nvidia 6200 is not a heavyweight video card.

A new Nvidia GTX 750 Ti is about $150 and would economically meet your needs.

I use a 660 Ti and have had no issues.

[Keith Almond]

Try going into the 3D itself, press SPACEBAR, this should bring up the MODEL OPTIONS. if it doesn't go to OPTIONS > SETUP OPTIONS

 

Go into each of the MODES, go to RENDERER, and change the Renderer from Hardware (GPU) to Software (CPU). This will probably make the render slower, but should allow you to view the rendered image.

 

I suspect as Steve said, it is a graphics card issue (although that doesn't seem like a bad card to run V14 on), but I assume this has been working up to now, or has this always been a problem.

[Bill Beatson]

Hi Steve and Keith,

 

Many thanks for your comments.

The 3D Setup I'm using is the Software Basic settings. The Enhanced setting emerges much more slowly with no improvement in quality. The still frame image with Sketched/Renderer/Software Basic is fine and is of same quality as I got from v14 on Windows XP using Hardware Accelerated. But now on Windows 7 (recommended to me!) the images using Sketched/Renderer/HWAccelerated looks like something out of the Simpsons! - and no good for showing clients. Didn't get that with XP! I do get a decent still frame image but that dissolves into wire frame as the image moves and then returns at the next still frame position.

 

Didn't really have many issues with v14 + XP (user since 2008 so not so much of a newbie!) but that computer crashed and XP is no longer supported anyway. I use 3D primarily for my own purposes for viewing the model as I build so I don't really need high quality output with landscapes and haven't explored 3D much beyond that. But I do still send PDF's of the still images to clients and it would be good to get back to the standards I had with XP so that I can move windows, doors etc on the model which I can't do anymore.

 

As you both say it's probably the graphics card not up to speed as everything in 3D mode is much slower and is affecting my productivity. I'll get onto my PC guy in town and pass on your comments. 

 

Really like this Forum, by the way, which I dip into from time to time.

 

All you guys are wizards in my eyes!

 

Best regards to all of you.

 

Bill Beatson (not yet retired!)

[Bill Beatson]

Hi again,

 

Browsing through other parts of the Forum I notice that 64bit OS is recommended for newer versions of SoftPlan. I have Windows 7 32bit OS and wonder if that could be inadequate - although previous Windows XP 32bit was okay!  Also, I have 2GB RAM and SoftPlan is a bit sluggish throughout the program.

 

What is the minimum recommended RAM for SoftPlan?

 

Cheers

Bill Beatson

[Martin Livingston]

As far as I know, with a 32 bit operating system the most RAM the system will recognize is 3GB. The more RAM the better.

[Keith Almond]

This is the minimum specification for Version 2014. V14 will be much less than this.

 

http://www.softplan....an-Require.html

[Bill Beatson]

Thanks everyone,

 

I've passed on your comments to my IT guy so hope to get to the bottom of this.

 

Best regards

Bill Beatson

SoftPlan user since v.14 XP!