Recently I started to get the dreaded lock-up on render, especially when using multiple vickies, and hi-rez textures. So after reading all of the posts on the subject here, I was curious to see what kind of draw on Ram poser was using, so I downloaded a freeware app called Mem Max. And I started up Poser and brought 2 morphed mil figures, multiple hi-rez maps, trans hair, etc and watched my free ram drop. :) Like others, I noticed that poses really do a number on the free ram (loading textures too). Well on to the neat bit. Before if I tried to render a 1200x1200 version of this scene I would get a lock-up, resulting in an upset Traveler. Well this little app, has the ability to free up ram space, So I set it to free up 60% when I was at 20% free, which it did. Then I did my render.... Perfect.... no lock up, no freeze... yay If anyone else who is plauged with the lock-up problem tries it, please post your results. I am curious to see if this is an actual fix or a fluke :) Program is at: http://t-rod.rsn.bth.se/tiberius/index.php3?page=download It's the MemMax.zip Word of advise... the default free up % is 90... you will want to turn this down when using your graphic apps. -Trav

Beauty! Thanks for the tip! I'll try it out this weekend & post my results. Many thanks!

Thanks Eric, great find! I just tried it with resources at 47%, I rendered Mike with new high res skin twice after using your suggestion at the 60% setting. Worked perfectly for me, normally I would have had to re-open Poser noting I use ProPack. -Trev

Works like a charm doesn't it? LOL! I have had to use a little utility called MaxMem for some time now. Although this little proggie may be better than mine. I will have to check it out. Thanks Eric! :o)

what os' does it work on? ex: win 95, win 98 win me, win2k, winnt, winxp.. etc... thx!

Traveler.. I could kiss you. :grins: If only I knew this yesterday.. I worked over 6 hours on a picture.. trying to figure out a way to avoid the lock up... But it's good to know for the future. Anzan

Thanks Traveler, another memory managment app to try out. ;0)

As someone with a PII 450Mgz and 250 Mgs of ram this issue has been long at the forefront of my Poser usage.

I recently posted these links in reply to a free memory problem in the Hardware forum. It always helps to try a few different things as PC setups vary and some apps work better in different configurations.

1)MaxMem (http://www.analogx.com/) or for the program download page directly (http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/system.htm)

1. Cacheman 5 (http://www.outertech.com) manages cache sizes and improves memory performance.

Regards
STORM

thanks so much Trav, I think you have saved my sanity. I have had so many problems after installing a 512MB stick along with my existing 128MB in Win98Se and Poser that I was ready to just wipe it all and start again. I am going to give this a go and will let you know if it makes a difference. I also found out recently that Win98 doesn't handle large amounts of memory very well so it would seem to be a perfect match (in theory). I was starting to think that it was only a small group of people that were having freeze probs in poser until recently. :))

Attached Link: http://www.sci.fi/~borg/rambooster/index.htm

for years I have preached this for 3d apps. inherently 3d apps suck at memory management...and combined with Bill's OS, well..its the only time where 95 + 98 + 2000 = 0 as in 0% mem management. Every time someone mentions getting a rambooster, someone else will say "I dont like them"...and though entitled to their opinion, I dont think they have a clue. I run 384 megs of ram...and rambooster. I can make images right at 1 gig on disk file size. Most cant even open that kind of file, no matter what...and I credit the ability to do this to ramboosting (ramfreeing) programs. I tried ram compressors (they are crap), but ram freeing programs are the sh(&! Anyone doing 3d graphics should check into one and find one that works well on their system, no matter how much ram they have. the trick is to not let the rambooster eat up all your cycles by trying to free ram every second..but set delays to around 30 seconds so that the cpu can do other things beside worry about ram. Now, how many nay-sayers will follow this post? lol BT

I run MemTurbo.. does the same thing as Maxmem... the trick I learned is not to allow it to run automatically 8 ) but the cache flush and mem defrag does indeed make a big differance 8 ) thank ye Eric.... you're one of the greatest!! Cheers

Bryce: RamBooster is a great program, I have used it in the past with poser, and until you mentioned it, I had forgotten all about it. I will have to re-install and give that a shot too. For those that wanted to know, I am running windows 98 first edition, with 320 megs of ram. I will keep you all posted on how it is working. -Trav

Like Brycetech I've been using RamBooster Works great.

Taura Noxx Win98 will only manage 512MB or RAM Although the 128 stick is counted at bootup Windows doesn't know what to do with it. NT, 2000, and XP allow you to use more.

I think I might move to W2K. Judging by what people say on here it seems to be the least troublesome when it comes to graphics. Could it also be W98 that would not boot properly when I had another 64mb in the other slot? I had to take it out, but it was counted fine at bootup. Just couldn't load the explorer shell properly. Took it out and everything seemed fine, except for poser freezes.

Jam & BT: would you mind sharing your settings for Ram Booster? I am giving that a try today so I can write it up as the Morph World tip of the week. I want to review a couple of the programs listed here so people can have a choice. -Trav