Crosshairs choppy w/ dyn input

[jmctamney]

Has anyone else noticed this. My crosshairs get very choppy while dynamic input is on and I don't mean having them move to thier original position after input. Thats a whole different problem. I've only noticed this happening since I installed my new FireGL V3400. Could it be related to the video card? I've really started getting into the dynamic input so I hate to stop using it but it's really diving me crazy having such an erratic crosshair.

[dzatto]

Has anyone else noticed this. My crosshairs get very choppy while dynamic input is on and I don't mean having them move to thier original position after input. Thats a whole different problem. I've only noticed this happening since I installed my new FireGL V3400. Could it be related to the video card? I've really started getting into the dynamic input so I hate to stop using it but it's really diving me crazy having such an erratic crosshair.
Yep, mine did it with my FireGL V5200, and now I have an Nvidia Quadro FX 570, it still does it. It's not every time, just after I've been on a drawing a while. I'll sometimes turn off all the tool tips and command line stuff and just run it with crosshairs only. That speeds it way up, but you're sorta flying blind.

[jmctamney]

Yep, mine did it with my FireGL V5200, and now I have an Nvidia Quadro FX 570, it still does it. It's not every time, just after I've been on a drawing a while. I'll sometimes turn off all the tool tips and command line stuff and just run it with crosshairs only. That speeds it way up, but you're sorta flying blind.

Well, I did a little investigating. I was watching my system performance ith dynaminc input on and drawing a line. 50% of my cpu was being used!! One time it went as high as 55%, just to draw a line!! turned dynamic input off and it never went above 40%. In fact, it probably average 30-35%. Funny thing it I never noticed any of this lagging until I got the new video card. Are there some video setting that could be contributing to these display issues? You know, now that I've been thinking about it. I installed Ultramon around the same time. I wonder if that might have anything to do with it. Hmmmmm....<breaks out his sherlock holmes hat> Looks like some more investigation is in order.

[jmctamney]

Quick update:

It's much worse when ACAD is stretched across both monitors. Even though it's a better card, maybe because my FireGL is only 128mb vs. my old 256mb card, it can't handle dual monitors as well. Hmmmm, do you think it would be worth sticking my old card back in and running both cards?

[ccowgill]

I am running dual monitors, I dont have AutoCAD stretched across (it makes it difficult to respond to AUGI posts while testing theories and looking like I am working at the same time.) I have not noticed any choppy crosshairs. I have only had dual monitors for about a month, but before that, I have been using dynamic input since release 07 and dont believe I have experienced this issue. I couldnt tell you what my video card was before, but right now I have an ATI Radeon X1600, not sure how much memory it has. Our firm doesnt spend a lot of money on our machines, so I am guessing it isnt that fancy, maybe 256 if I am lucky. I have however experienced the other issue you briefly mentioned, I have just had to get used to it.

[dzatto]

Quick update:

It's much worse when ACAD is stretched across both monitors. Even though it's a better card, maybe because my FireGL is only 128mb vs. my old 256mb card, it can't handle dual monitors as well. Hmmmm, do you think it would be worth sticking my old card back in and running both cards?
Now that you say that, that's exactly what I'm doing and I love it! I have a 3 monitor setup. One is my new Nvidia 570, the old card was an Nvidia NVS something or other. Both are dual monitor capable, so I can have 4 monitors if I wanted. The third one is just a 17", but it's pefect for my ribbon, Xref palette, tool palette, properties palete and PN. All are open instead of minimized. The only thing is you see them open and close when you change drawings, and there a little lag time there, but not too terrible. I like having them open all the time.

My other 2 monitors are 100% drawing area. No command line, no pulldowns, nothing! Works great. They are 20.1" widescreens. I liked my Fire GL card better, but the new system had Nvidia so......................

BTW the Radion X1600 is a 128 meg card (I'm pretty sure).

[jmctamney]

Now that you say that, that's exactly what I'm doing and I love it! I have a 3 monitor setup. One is my new Nvidia 570, the old card was an Nvidia NVS something or other. Both are dual monitor capable, so I can have 4 monitors if I wanted. The third one is just a 17", but it's pefect for my ribbon, Xref palette, tool palette, properties palete and PN. All are open instead of minimized. The only thing is you see them open and close when you change drawings, and there a little lag time there, but not too terrible. I like having them open all the time.

My other 2 monitors are 100% drawing area. No command line, no pulldowns, nothing! Works great. They are 20.1" widescreens. I liked my Fire GL card better, but the new system had Nvidia so......................

BTW the Radion X1600 is a 128 meg card (I'm pretty sure).


I'm thinking of throwing my old 256 mbATI Radeon X somthing in an attempt to fix some of these display problems. I'm guessing the new 128mb FireGL doesn't like Revit (or ACAD) stretched across both monitors so I was going to have a dedicated videocard for each monitor. How dificult is it to do this?

[dzatto]

I'm thinking of throwing my old 256 mbATI Radeon X somthing in an attempt to fix some of these display problems. I'm guessing the new 128mb FireGL doesn't like Revit (or ACAD) stretched across both monitors so I was going to have a dedicated videocard for each monitor. How dificult is it to do this?
Not difficult at all. Just install your card and hook up the cables. Easy as that. At least it was for mine. When I identify monitors I have 1, 3, and 4. I'm not using the second port on the first card. Under monitor settings, you can place the monitor wherever it is so the computer knows where to let the mouse go onto the third monitor. It sounds confusing, but it should be simple.

[jmctamney]

Not difficult at all. Just install your card and hook up the cables. Easy as that. At least it was for mine. When I identify monitors I have 1, 3, and 4. I'm not using the second port on the first card. Under monitor settings, you can place the monitor wherever it is so the computer knows where to let the mouse go onto the third monitor. It sounds confusing, but it should be simple.

Sounds easy enough. I thought it would be. You gotta love "plug and play"

[jmctamney]

Well, so much for that idea. I've only got one PCI Express slot. Piece of carp dell dimension. I hope that since we're using Revit more and more our next 'puter upgrade is something better. I may already know the answer to this but is there a particular line of Dell desktops that are more suited to this type of work? I've got an XPS400 at home with only a 1G of ram and a carpy Radeon x300 and I can run almost anything with it. Lately I've been running inventor and it performs nearly flawlessly.

[ccowgill]

Well, so much for that idea. I've only got one PCI Express slot. Piece of carp dell dimension. I hope that since we're using Revit more and more our next 'puter upgrade is something better. I may already know the answer to this but is there a particular line of Dell desktops that are more suited to this type of work? I've got an XPS400 at home with only a 1G of ram and a carpy Radeon x300 and I can run almost anything with it. Lately I've been running inventor and it performs nearly flawlessly.
got to pay extra for an sli ready mother board

[jmctamney]

got to pay extra for an sli ready mother board

A what? I'm so illiterate when it comes to computer tech.

[ccowgill]

an SLI motherboard is one that comes with 2 pci express slots so you can connect 2 video cards together and either run 4 separate monitors, or I believe run 1 with the processing power or all 4, but dont quote me on that, All I know is for my computer at home, I figured I wouldnt need it, so I got the cheaper board

[jmctamney]

an SLI motherboard is one that comes with 2 pci express slots so you can connect 2 video cards together and either run 4 separate monitors, or I believe run 1 with the processing power or all 4, but dont quote me on that, All I know is for my computer at home, I figured I wouldnt need it, so I got the cheaper board

Simple enough.

I've noticed a lot of people here are running Dell precisions and they seem to have pretty good performance. I myself have an XPS at home and it runs ACAD and inventor well. Havent tried Revit yet. Here at work we use Dimensions and as they do pretty well with vanilla ACAD they are really lacking when it comes to Revit. Is one line of dell desktops better suited than the other for CAD work?

[ccowgill]

Simple enough.

I've noticed a lot of people here are running Dell precisions and they seem to have pretty good performance. I myself have an XPS at home and it runs ACAD and inventor well. Havent tried Revit yet. Here at work we use Dimensions and as they do pretty well with vanilla ACAD they are really lacking when it comes to Revit. Is one line of dell desktops better suited than the other for CAD work?
I dont know, we use Systemax POC computers at our office. At Home I use a custom built computer that can not only whoop my machine at the office, it also costs about $500 less. and with it being 64 bit, it does seem a little more stable

[AcadDurango]

Now that you say that, that's exactly what I'm doing and I love it! I have a 3 monitor setup. One is my new Nvidia 570, the old card was an Nvidia NVS something or other. Both are dual monitor capable, so I can have 4 monitors if I wanted. The third one is just a 17", but it's pefect for my ribbon, Xref palette, tool palette, properties palete and PN. All are open instead of minimized. The only thing is you see them open and close when you change drawings, and there a little lag time there, but not too terrible. I like having them open all the time.

My other 2 monitors are 100% drawing area. No command line, no pulldowns, nothing! Works great. They are 20.1" widescreens. I liked my Fire GL card better, but the new system had Nvidia so......................

BTW the Radion X1600 is a 128 meg card (I'm pretty sure).

Hi, can you post a picture of your 3 monitor setup, i will like to show my boss and our IT that is possible to have more than 1 monitor, please?

[jmctamney]

Hi, can you post a picture of your 3 monitor setup, i will like to show my boss and our IT that is possible to have more than 1 monitor, please?

Where did your IT get his cert? A crackerjack box. Everyone knows dual monitors are possible. All you need is the right video card. If there's two plugs on the video card you can have two monitors.

[jaberwok]

Where did your IT get his cert? A crackerjack box. Everyone knows dual monitors are possible. All you need is the right video card. If there's two plugs on the video card you can have two monitors.

Failing that you can have two separate cards each feeding one monitor - no problem.

(Sorry, JMcT, your problem is different).

[jmctamney]

Failing that you can have two separate cards each feeding one monitor - no problem.

(Sorry, JMcT, your problem is different).

My point was....how could someone actually think more than one monitor wasn't possible. Now the bossman I could see. Executives are so out of touch but I.T.?!?

[jaberwok]

My point was....how could someone actually think more than one monitor wasn't possible.

I know.
I agree.

[dzatto]

I'll have to get a camera. I'll get a pic up next week.

As far as desktops, we use Dell and have had no problems with the. We use the precision series, though. Not the dimension. my new one is a Dell Precison T3400. It's a nice machine. If you go to Dell and search for ISV, that's where the certified CAD machines are. Mine is ISV certified.

[jmctamney]

I'll have to get a camera. I'll get a pic up next week.

As far as desktops, we use Dell and have had no problems with the. We use the precision series, though. Not the dimension. my new one is a Dell Precison T3400. It's a nice machine. If you go to Dell and search for ISV, that's where the certified CAD machines are. Mine is ISV certified.

Good to know. I was with our IT/CAD manager at AU this year. I tried like crazy to get him to stop by the Dell booth to figure out what we needed since our Dimensions didn't seem to be cutting it. He was a little more interested in the free swag and :beer:. (who wasn't? :mrgreen:)

[AcadDurango]

Hi, I will aprecciate the pictures from your 3 monitor set up, and speaking of our IT, the position is in interim (i hope it is the right word) so recently there were aplied exams and tests to assign the position, and for the results, I only know that I was second, and our current IT was 9th out of 11 candidates. And being a mechanical eng. I think I am a very good IT.

[dzatto]

Hi, I will aprecciate the pictures from your 3 monitor set up, and speaking of our IT, the position is in interim (i hope it is the right word) so recently there were aplied exams and tests to assign the position, and for the results, I only know that I was second, and our current IT was 9th out of 11 candidates. And being a mechanical eng. I think I am a very good IT.
Here's a pic of my 3 monitors in all their glory. My battery was dead, so no flash. The pic is a bit dark, but you get the idea.

[AcadDurango]

Here's a pic of my 3 monitors in all their glory. My battery was dead, so no flash. The pic is a bit dark, but you get the idea.

dzatto, thank you for the picture, I'd just printed in the biggest possible size, saved the file, and send both, the picture and the file to our boss and of course to our IT; our boss is very openminded to new tech/computer ideas, he has very good computer skills and I hope, that as always, our IT will follow boss instructions. :)