[MichaelHenry]

The 4th operation in this project file is taking well over an hour to process, uses up 8GB+ of RAM, and locks up the PC so badly that it can't be used for anything else until the op finishes processing from the Machining tab. If anyone has some time, could you please take a look at the file and see what I am doing wrong.

The problem op is a a roughing waterline with a 1/4-in ball end mill to clean up the the 1/4-in fillet that runs around the elevated boss on the workpiece.

Thanks, Mike

[popspipes]

I cant open it with sprut 7 Mike, I do use waterline roughing and finishing on some of my parts, it does take awhile when I click run but nothing like an hour, maybe 5 to 10 minutes usually but my 3d holes are small 5/8" round to a 3/4 rectangle about 5/8 deep Roughing is about 20 passes, finish about 70, 5 parts per program side.

Check the stepover, I use almost full width so that it machines quicker, I dont know if that would affect the processing time in Sprut though.

[mountaindew]

I cant load your file, your version is newer then my 8.

I can only comment on my experience
set sprut to launch or run as administrator.
window to full screen
keep cursor in upper menu area if possible "helps windows programs keep focus for cpu clocks"
couple hints that help speed things in windows in general

On to your problem
From what I can read I would guess sprut is not finding or getting the machining results from the previous operation or operations.
It keeps sorting the data looking for something that is in job zone and its not finding it.
An example of a problem is sprut will get lost at times if you have 2 different rough water lines in same area and just change tools or tool size.
I would try a rest water line operation to see if it calculates faster or something of that sort.
hope this helps a little
md

[David C. Allen]

Mike
I opened the file and ran it in sprutcam 8 Build 2.0 Rev 75225 x86 RL 9/05/2014

Attachment 251158

I do not like to run the latest release of SprutCAM on my CAD/CAM machine in case there is a problem.
The computer I used is a 2005 Tecra Laptop Pentium M 2Ghz with 1gb of ram running XP 32 bit.
It took about 10 min to "run" the program in the machining tab on battery power. The simulation ran fine.

Attachment 251154

I uploaded the file results

David

[mountaindew]

wow!
Even 10 min is long time.
The program is confused or is sorting / thrashing data! imho
md

Example
6 sides with varied operations on each and every side!
Complete check out in 1 minute 35 seconds
Resulting in 36,000 lines of g-code
Attachment 251184

I used this a quick test of a complex program

This is using a core i7, 8gb, Gtx 760 gfx, system and solid state disk drives.
more then a laptop but still its a 5 year old computer they make em much faster these days

[David C. Allen]

I did not run it on my CAD/CAM machine.

So this time I plugged the old Tecra laptop into A.C. power and the time dropped to 4min, 51sec.

David

[MichaelHenry]

Mike
I opened the file and ran it in sprutcam 8 Build 2.0 Rev 75225 x86 RL 9/05/2014

... The simulation ran fine.

David

Thanks David. Your simulation ran fine on my PC, too, but it hung again once I tried to re-Run the problem op in your STC file without making any changes to it. I'm running SC8 Build 2, Rev 75464 dated 19/09/2014. I also had similar problems with Rev 74454 dated 24/6/2014. It hangs so badly that even the Task Manager can't be invoked to kill SC 8. I'm beginning to think that I have a munged SC8 system file somewhere or some other problem.

I'm going to try re-Running a similar file to see if that has problems as well, just to confirm that the IGES file I imported for the part is not a problem, but since you had no problem with the part I don't expect that to work either. I don't have the version you used but do have several others archived so can try them, too.

Another odd thing is that SC 8 now refuses to let me load my custom toolkit. Maybe the two issues are related.

Mike

[mountaindew]

I'm running SC8 Build 2, Rev 75464 dated 19/09/2014. .

Mike

Was that the night or day build? A choice I noticed when installing.
I got 24 hours of use and the license manager locked me out. "I did something to confuse it"
Had to copy tool files and custom operations lists and un install.
A tense hour or so!
md

[David C. Allen]

Mike
My guess is some file in your SprutCAM install is corrupt, because everything ran fine on the Tecra.

I will download SC8 Build 2, Rev 75464 dated 19/09/2014 and try and run it on the old Tecra Laptop Pentium M 2Ghz, after all that's what it's for!

David

[mountaindew]

Mike
My guess is some file in your SprutCAM install is corrupt, because everything ran fine on the Tecra.

I will download SC8 Build 2, Rev 75464 dated 19/09/2014 and try and run it on the old Tecra Laptop Pentium M 2Ghz, after all that's what it's for!

David

why use old Tecra Laptop Pentium M 2Ghz?
Is this for testing of different versions something?
md

[MichaelHenry]

Thanks David, I'll be very interested to hear how this turns out.

I did try a previous project that did a lot more waterlining operations and it "Ran" OK, though a little slow. It also hung up when it was simulated, though, so I'm leaning toward a corrupted SC8 file.

Any thoughts on the best way to proceed - should the current SC8 be uninstalled or a different version just installed over it? I'm leaning toward the former.

I don't know whether or not the 9/19/2014 build I installed was a day or night build - I reached it through a link posted somewhere now and can't remember where that was.

Mike

[David C. Allen]

Mike
I have upgraded to SC 8 Build 2, Rev 75464 dated 19/09/2014.

Attachment 251300

I loaded your file and it ran fine in both Machine, and Simulation tab's.

Attachment 251310

With the old Tecra laptop on A.C. power, the "run" time was 4min, 20sec.

Attachment 251312

Your file is attached below

As far as installing SprutCAM 8 back on your computer, I would remove the existing version and install the new version. Although some times it is a real pain, and I have had to go all the way back to the Tormach install disk to get USB Key to work. Then there is the hassle of the XML file and getting the Tormach 2012 machine files installed correctly.

All in all I think a fresh install is the way to go.

David

[mountaindew]

I don't know whether or not the 9/19/2014 build I installed was a day or night build

Mike

I was mostly joking about that being a silly option when installing!

Anyway you have a solution in your mail box!
Takes less then 30 seconds on my computer "keep david on his toes"
And I would be very careful with upgrades and even plan them.
This is not the most well behaved software and I can babble on for hours on why

from the wannabe sprutmaster
md

Just for fun it all posts out both sides in 50 seconds and generates 9480 lines of g- code
Not efficient tool paths but good example of what I said above.

[mountaindew]

I was mostly joking about that being a silly option when installing!

Anyway you have a solution in your mail box!
Takes less then 30 seconds on my computer "keep david on his toes"
And I would be very careful with upgrades and even plan them.
This is not the most well behaved software and I can babble on for hours on why

from the wannabe sprutmaster
md

Just for fun it all posts out both sides in 50 seconds and generates 9480 lines of g- code
Not efficient tool paths but good example of what I said above.

Wanted to edit and add picture but it was locked.

Attachment 251502

Love my screen grabs
2 sides complete and man would milling this make a pile of swarf!
md

[mountaindew]

As I noted above ,If you have things set right many times sprut will process very fast.
The trick to help sprutcam process the data and not thrash it in this case.
The operation with the ball mill needs to have the radial stock set to a non zero value like 0.0005 or whatever!
This one setting will change the process time from hours to seconds!
This feature, tool and operation combo causes the program to kind of get stuck or lost I guess.
Hope this helps others that run into long compile times "helps to look at things like this"
md

[MichaelHenry]

As I noted above ,If you have things set right many times sprut will process very fast.
The trick to help sprutcam process the data and not thrash it in this case.
The operation with the ball mill needs to have the radial stock set to a non zero value like 0.0005 or whatever!
This one setting will change the process time from hours to seconds!
This feature, tool and operation combo causes the program to kind of get stuck or lost I guess.
Hope this helps others that run into long compile times "helps to look at things like this"
md

Thanks - I'll try that first chance I get, probably tomorrow. The problem feature in the OP seemed to get resolved after I uninstalled SC 8 and re-installed it. It was the exact same build so that wasn't a factor. My theory is that a file got munged somewhere. I'm pretty sure that I had 0 radial stock set, too, but can't verify that until this evening.

Mike