New computer - not much better OpenGL performance?

Hi.

I am now finished to install my new computer and to test the performance of it, I opened a project that I new my old computer had severe problems to show in OpenGl. With this my new computer I had expected that it would be no problem to open the 3D model fluently. But it was - I couldn't open it in OpenGl. Another model I could open (also on the old computer) but with as fluent motion as I had expected. Actually the "fluently" or lack of, was much the same as on my old computer.

My setup is now as follows:
- Asus G73SW, with NVidia GeForce GTX 460, Core i7-2630QM, 16GB RAM, 2x500GB SSD/HDD.
- External screen, Asus VK278Q. Connected with VGA cable and USB (USB for the built-in webcam - I think). I could use HDMI if I had a cable, but until further notice it is VGA.
- External keyboard and mouse from Logitech.

Is there some settings somewhere, I need to do, to get a better OpenGL experience??

Another thing is that the picture on the external screen is slightly too much to the left. Anyone have any idea of how to adjust it??

I will check the graphic card driver.

The fps number is around 50.

I have now installed the newest driver from Nvidia. But it doesn't seem to help. I have also tried to make some changes in the Nvidia controlpanel, like choosing Nvidia GPU for PhysX. Does Dietrichs use PhysX?

I have been thinking about another thing: Does version 7.03 not support 64 bit Windows and perhaps therefore not support the use of more than 3 GB Ram, even though I have 16 GB Ram??

Yeah I thought as well that in OpenGL it is mainly the grapfic card that is the "engine". But it is a bit surprisingly that the program itself uses only 2 GB Ram. Why limit it? If one is working with a very heavy drawing or a very heavy model, it's no wonder why it can sometimes be slow and heavy, if only 2 GB ram is used, even though more is available.

It's enough to send just the single position, right?

Below is the correspondance I have had with Dietrichs. I'd really like to help Dietrichs to become a even better 3D software package... The e-mails are with the newest first, so maybe one should read from the bottom...

Dear Dietrichs.

With what I am saying I don't want to offend Dietrichs. As I like the Dietrichs software very much and as I think it is one of the better 3D software packages available and I think the best among those I have actually tried.

So what am I trying to say? Well I am trying to help Dietrichs in the right direction. If Dietrichs should remain one of the best 3D software packages available, it needs to follow the tendencies in the construction world and in the digital world. I know that you are developing the software - i.e. it's functions and how these functions are set up. I can see that when I read on the webpage or in the forum. You have and are developing the statics program, you have included U-value and heatloss calculations and so on in the newer versions. I am still on version 7.03, so I don't know the newer versions first hand. That I am still on version 7 comes down to that the software have been too expensive to upgrade during the last few years, where the industry haven't been optimal. We have simply had higher priority on other things.

But what I am trying to say is, that it is not enough to develop on the functionallity of the program it self. For me it seems like the core or engine of the program develops slower than the hardware that we are using the program on. Even with version 7, I would expect a fluent 3D experience even with a relative big 21 apartment building, with 3½ wooden construction floors above the underground parking made with concrete elements.

So maybe it is time for Dietrichs, to develop the software in the direction of taking better advantage of today's fast and high capacity computers.

I am still not sure what you are thinking about when you talk about a "large number of small tubes has the same object-type and MOS-number than other wall parts".

I will try to translate something that someone said on another debate forum:

"One of the more interesting aspects with repetetive structures is that the most of today's applications support "instansing", meaning that one has a basic instans and hereafter just copies of this one - that can then be modified somehow. This is among others used in Maya, 3DsMax, AutoCad and other 3D applications. This means that it technically does not need to work with as much data, but it can take basis in a basic structure with individual modifications. That is why Maya today can handle hundreds of thousands of repetetive objects. This was something they actually also had problems with untill before "The Lord of the Rings" (Weta was actually taking part in developing this method)."

I don't know if this makes sence. But it does look like Dietrichs have problems to handle models that consists of a large amount of items - and perhaps also models that consists of very big items. With the latter I am thinking about, if I make a 3D model of the building and its surrounding area - with large areas of gras, roads and such big "ceilings" - plus big "walls", that are made to illustrate the sky. But I think the main problem with the software is the amount of items in a 3D model that it can handle fluently and perhaps the amount of "computerpower" the program takes advantage of. A limit of 2 GB Ram is very old fashioned today, for example. It should be unlimited, so that the faster and the more powerful the computer is, the better the program will run on that computer.

My best and kind regards, Thorvald.

Thorvald Johannes Pedersen skrev, Den 19-05-2011 15:37:
> Dear Florian.
>
> Really? I didn't think that there was such a thing as a too big model for Dietrichs. I guess this is some kind of Dietrichs problem and not really a hardware problem - because my new computer should be more than powerful enough to handle this model, in my opnion. Maybe Dietrichs should be better optimized to use as much as possible of the computers power - Ram, processor, GPU and GPU-ram. Of course this model contains a lot of items and it is a quite big house, but still. I am not sure what you are thinking about when you talk about a "large number of small tubes has the same object-type and MOS-number than other wall parts".
>
> Even with smaller models (that are still a little big), that I can view on my old computer, I don't get a fluent 3D experience with on the new computer. So I think Dietrichs needs to move forward and develop the software to be able to handle bigger and more complex models and take better advantage of today's high end computers. Dietrichs is a too expensive piece of software to not be able to handle big and complex building models. How did they make Taipai 101 or the even higher tower in Dubai - I just wonder? Of course that doesn't help me, if I don't upgrade my current Dietrichs version. Unless that development can be installed on older versions of Dietrichs.
>
> Best regards, Thorvald.
>
>
> Dietrich's Support skrev, Den 19-05-2011 15:17:
>>
>> Dear Mr. Pedersen,
>>
>> The problem with the position you sent is, that it contains to many parts.
>>
>> That is a problem not only with OpenGL but also with rotating or zooming the building or using the filter-function in DICAM.
>>
>>
>> What makes things more complicated is, that e.g. the large number of small tubes has the same object-type and MOS-number than other wall parts. That makes it impossible to switch them off in display stile without switching off other important parts as well. The only way to switch off “unimportant” parts is to filter them by item#.
>>
>> The only way to get this position handeled is to reduce it in some way. When everything is visualized and switched on, it is in this case to much for display.
>>
>>
>> We remain at your disposal for any further information.
>>
>> Kind regards,
>>
>> Florian Strauß
>>
>> Dietrich’s AG
>> 3D CAD/CAM for timber construction
>>
>> -+ please also visit our web forum: http://user.dietrichs.com
>> -+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-
>>
>> Dietrich's AG - 3D-CAD/CAM für den Holzbau
>> Postfach 13 42 * 85573 Neubiberg/München
>> Tel. +49-89-61 44 21-30 * Fax +49-89-61 44 21-25
>> mailto:hotline@dietrichs.com* http://www.dietrichs.com
>> Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender: Adolf Dressler
>> Vorstandsvorsitzender: Dipl. Ing. Uwe Emmer
>> HRB 127 508 * Ust-Id.Nr. DE 174 827 894
>> Zuständiges Amtsgericht: München
>>
>>
>> Von: Thorvald Johannes Pedersen [mailtotjp@jofa-lt.dk]
>> Gesendet: Donnerstag, 19. Mai 2011 10:35
>> An: Dietrich's Support
>> Betreff: New computer - not much better OpenGL performance.
>>
>>
>> Hi.
>>
>> I have here attached the model position, that I can't open in OpenGL.
>>
>>
>> Best regards
>> Master of Science in Engineering
>> Thorvald Johannes Pedersen
>> Cederlunden 15, 1.th.
>> 6705 Esbjerg OE, Denmark
>> Tlf.: +45 75 14 11 00
>> E-mail: tjp@jofa-lt.dk
>> Jofa Denmark