So, as I sit here waiting for the 350,000 lines of g code to finish calculating (seriously… that’s how many lines in my current project and that’s just one of 3 tiles), I’m contemplating what I need to improve on my computer to speed the process up… if anything. Increasing RAM? A better processor? A better graphics card?
Thoughts?
Are you on Windows? If so, CTRL+SHIFT+Esc, this will bring up the Task Manager. Under the ‘Performance’ tab, select Memory.
This should give you a pretty good idea if you are running into memory pressure. The ‘Committed’ value is really the number to look at.
EDIT - The upper right corner will tell you how much ram you have:
In my case, I have 16GB of ram, but only 15.6GB is actually usable (the rest is dedicated to the video system)
350K lines, that’s not really that big.
As @mhotchin says, watch the Task manager. If the CPU is pegged, that’s all she has.
If you have maxed memory, the disk will show activity as you run into the swap file.
I am not sure if CC uses the GPU for toolpath generation.
@jtclose
How long would you expect that to process?
I would be surprised if Carbide Create used enough memory on a modern system for more memory to help appreciably on a task which is currently being completed.
I don’t believe a graphics card is used except for 3D previewing.
Faster processor seems the most likely to help, but send the file in to support@carbide3d.com and we’ll see what we can find out looking into it.
A few minutes I guess. I have made multi million line files from Fusion.
Do you have a GPU in the computer ?
Are you reading the CC file from a local drive or across a network ?
For what it’s worth, Will’s pointing to the cpu makes sense. Most path processing tools strictly use CPU for generation.
I think fusion got gpu accelerated tool paths fairly recently, most don’t use GPU for anything but visualization. (To be more specific, I’m pretty sure most programs use only a single core as well. So a lower speed 32 core server grade Xeon processor wouldn’t touch an overclocked consumer 4 core I7 back in the day…not sure if that’s still the case)
I know CC uses the GPU for visualization for some part.
If the .c3d file is across a network that I would assume it would slow down.
Is the CPU pegged ? Or at least a single core maxed ?
Thanks for ask the input! I will check on those things later today.
@jtclose , your time frame of a few minutes for multi million lines of code goes me hope that there is a solution to this.
@WillAdams I’m going to guess that the problem is the cpu based on what you are saying. The simulation runs at a speed I would expect it to, it is the generation of the toolpaths that takes all the time. When I did the first, full sized version of the 42x64" sign I had to leave it overnight to let the toolpaths generate. The specific toolpath is the 1/4" ball mill texture toolpath that takes forever.
One way to check on memory is to restart, launch only Carbide Create, and with it running, see how much memory is available to the system/being used — naturally, if there isn’t enough for the OS itself, then performance will suffer.
I just got a 4x8 texture toolpath to generate essentially immediately:
and even when I turned tiling on, it didn’t seem to take that long:
Please send your .c2d file in to support — if it takes a long while on my machine as well I’m sure it will be of interest as a way to look into improving performance.
Not an expert on large cnc files but I recall folks here working with scanned files that come in as a bajillion points. What I recall was that converting the point clouds into arcs simplified the toolpath calculations. The idea is you can make a circle by specifying many points, or by a position and a radius. You would have to calculate steps for each points having a command that mathematically made the path.
John
Here is a screenshot of that file creating the toolpaths…the system usage. Just to give you an idea.
That CPU looks to be screaming 
2.2 GHz is where it wants to be and it looks to be turboing up to 3+ so it’s trying its best there.
Maybe the carbide folks will have something to add but if I were a betting man, I’d say you’re pretty well CPU limited.
Depending on the system, the CPU may be upgradable. When I see lower base GHz like 2.2 I assume it’s an energy saving oriented bit of kit. Might be able to put something a bit more power hungry in there to get some faster generation times 
And if I were even more of a betting man, I’d bet you won’t be able to upgrade that CPU since it’s a mobile chip. I assume it’s in a laptop or some other very small form factor where a swap isn’t feasible. Even if it could technically be upgraded, most systems like that are developed to dissipate a specific amount of heat so chucking in a more powerful chip won’t get you much if thermal throttling kicks in anyway.
Maybe time to start shopping for a new machine if you really want things to go faster 
Higher base clock speed is what I’d look for. It’ll serve better than more cores at a lower clock in most CNC applications.
Good answer Tyler. Thanks for the great input. Yes… when I purchased the laptop computer, I did go small to start out with. It has served me well for the smaller projects. It may be time to upgrade.
That being said, what input is there out there for the hardware to be looking for a million plus lines of g code? I see a lot of people using tablets/iPads mounted to the table vs a laptop base. Do you love or regret that?
And what hardware would you be looking for for larger files with a million plus lines of g code?
I think the tablet style you usually see mounted to the table is used primarily to run the machine. The g-code those tablets are running tend to be generated elsewhere (usually on some standard size tower sitting under a desk)
This comes with the minor annoyance of having some way to share the files between the desktop used to generate the g-code and the tablet used to run the g-code at the machine. In my opinion, this is a fine natural evolution that’s worth figuring out if you already run a productive shop (lot’s of threads here on how to accomplish this from onedrive to network attached storage, there’s no shortage of answers, each with their own tradeoffs 
)
As for hardware recs, I wouldn’t know where to begin. Maybe check some existing threads here for recs on the tablet? For a desktop, I’d try to keep your RAM above 16GB, your hard drive as an SSD, and your CPU at the highest you can reasonably attain, that’s just a guess without thinking about it too hard though.
Regarding the tablet contol on the machine, this is a pretty common standard layout in the industry. After trying it myself, I like it quite a bit. I’ll likely keep my controller/tablet/whatever mounted very near whatever machine I own going forward and most other folks tend to have a similar feeling after trying it out.
Maybe it’s worth asking the carbide support folks if they would recommend an intel CPU or an Apple silicon, assuming your main use case is creating files with carbide motion. I’m not sure if there’s a material difference as it relates to carbide motion, but in some cases the difference is night and day. I’ve got a Mac-mini that’s been awesome for some specific use-cases optimized for Apple silicon.
I know I put a bunch of words on the screen there. There’s a lot to consider and you certainly don’t need to figure it out this weekend, but I do think it’s worth figuring it all out at some point
DUHH! Of course you are right on this. I will always (most likely) keep my designing on a desktop or laptop so that I can use a keyboard, mouse, and larger monitor. That was a silly question. Thanks for pointing that out.
I’m using Carbide Create and will for sometime still I’m guessing since I figured out how to design in it for my large signage with texture/text interaction on a larger scale, and tiling thrown in as well.
SirGariff.
Computers has been a hobby of mine over 30 years now.
That said, Your running an i7- 6 Gen Processor, and no video card.
6 Gen i7 was released back late 2015.
Your in kinda of pickle. You really need to upgrade your i7, However, if you do THAT,
you WILL have to update your motherboard, Unless your purchase a 9th Gen or less.
10 Gen’s, the socket type was changed so everything 10 gen and higher, you will have to update
mother board too. But I am not sure what MB you have, but another i7 would be a good bet.
No video Card? Your going to run into slow 3D sim times too with lots of g code.
Shopping around on ebay for an 8-9 gen i7. I have purchased many computer parts there.
The reason a say “ebay” is computer parts right now is HIGH DOLLAR GOLD.
DDR 5 ram right now is the price of gold too, your know what DDR ram your running?
if you have DDR 3, I would upgrade that to, @ least DDR 4. but your MB might not support DDR 4!
You probably understand now , your in a pickle.
Video cards are the price of gold too right now.
5 months ago, I was going to build a new machine until I seen the price tags on VC’s, Processors and RAM., Na, Ill wait!
Good luck to ya!
Thanks! I’ve started looking for a new computer based on this conversation and you confirmed. I appreciate the input very much.
Definitely look at how many nodes are used for simple things like circles and arcs. Sometimes hundreds of points with straight lines rather than a simple curve. I use Vectric now instead of Carbide Create and it has a nice way of converting many nodes into simple 2 node curves as an example. Cuts way down of processing and cutting time. Not sure if Carbide has the same thing, been a long time since I switched.
