Civil 3D: Slow Performance in Large Data Sets

November 24, 2021 Jeff Arbogast

Issue:

When working with Civil 3D files with large Data Sets, performance is slow.

The list below may cause crashes.

  • Trim Commands
  • Exporting data
  • Selecting Imagery and having Imagery in the Background
  • Selecting External References
  • Moving the Cursor
  • Selecting and Hovering over Surfaces and 3D Polylines
  • Plotting large Sheet Files
  • Saving the File
  • Loading the File

Causes:

Files containing large Data Sets.

Solution:

Files with Large Data Sets, slow performance is expected behavior.

Somethings that can help.

Turn off your selection preview.

Install a supported test Video driver from the link below (All verticals software that is AutoCAD based such as Civil 3D use AutoCAD as the software in this chart).

You could also try turning off hardware acceleration.

Install all available updates for AutoCAD, Map 3D and Civil 3D.

Clean the file using Purge.

Check and fix corruption.

Clean and simplify Surfaces (You must be careful here because you do not want to effect the accuracy of your Surface).

Bring larges Surfaces and imagery into their own Master files and then use External References and Data Shortcuts to reattach.

External References

Data Shortcuts

About the Author

Jeff Arbogast

Manufacturing Solution Center Team Lead<br><br>Jeff is responsible for manufacturing Technical Support for both internal staff and customers. In addition to the daily activities of the support center, he helps write for the National Support Center blog, and has written online classes for the IMAGINiT training on demand site.

Follow on Linkedin More Content by Jeff Arbogast
Previous Article
A solution for when Revit runs very slowly on MacBook Pro with Parallels
A solution for when Revit runs very slowly on MacBook Pro with Parallels

For a Mac to run Revit in Parallels Windows, try to allocate as much RAM as you can spare to Windows.

Next Article
Inventor Nastran analysis error ‘AdskLicengingAgent- no Qt platform plugin could be initialized’
Inventor Nastran analysis error ‘AdskLicengingAgent- no Qt platform plugin could be initialized’

×

Get Tips Delivered.

Subscribe to Email Updates.

First Name
Last Name
Country
Thank you!
Error - something went wrong!