Q0005: When I plot a large map the printout never starts, or the annotations are printed without the base map or the annotations are not printed but the base map is printed.

Answer: The windows print driver is running out of virtual memory while preparing the raster map image for transfer to the printer.

Solutions:

1. Make sure you are using the latest print driver for your plotter. Even (especially) if you just pulled the plotter of the box 10 minutes ago, you most likely don't have the latest drivers. Go the web site of the plotter's manufacturer and make sure you have the latest drivers. Please don't call us until you have the latest print drivers. If you have an HP plotter, then this is the most critical step to printing HUGE maps!

2. Make sure your print driver is:

A: Optimized for images or graphics: 

B: Set to 'Process In Computer'; NOT set to 'Process in Printer'.

3. If you have tried to print a file and the printout has failed, restart your machine. Once a print job fails you typically can not successfully print anything until your machine has been restarted.

4. Use the 'All Topo Rip' selection on the print menu:

5. Make sure you have lots of space available on your C: drive (at least 2 gigabytes!)

6. If you don't have at least 256-megabytes of system RAM, just give up. 512-megabytes is probably 10 times better than 256 and will result in a very significant reduction of time required to spool the image.

7. Make sure your operating system is Win2000 or WinXP (home or pro). If you are using Win98, try allocating more virtual memory. We have found that upgrading from Win98 to WinXP on the same computer, same disks, same plotter, same memory, same cable will result in a 10 to 20  times speed improvement when spooling large maps!

A 40" x 60" map that takes 2 hours to spool under Win98 will spool in less than 5 minutes under WinXP!

8. Make sure your plotter is connected by a USB, Firewire or network cable. DO NOT use parallel or (heaven forbid) a serial cable!

9. Make sure you have at least 2 Gigabytes of virtual memory configured. We have found that setting the Initial and Maximum sizes to EXACTLY THE SAME VALUE results in better performance.

Here is how to check/set the virtual memory settings in WindowsXP: Select "Start: Control Panel: System: Advanced: Performance-Settings: Advanced" at the bottom of the dialog it will detail 'Virtual Memory':

If the 'Total paging file size for all drives:' is less than 2000 then make it at least 2000!

To change the setting press the 'Change' button:

You can split the virtual memory over multiple fixed disks. Pick the FASTEST, NON-REMOVABLE disks on your machine for the paging files.

NOTE: the Windows defaults (669 MB above) are totally inappropriate for plotting large graphic files and will not work.

02/12/2004 16:36