Slow Land F/X Performance Troubleshooting

July 9, 2021

Presented by: Mike Bennett

Length: 1:00:19

The Land F/X plugin is intended to save you time, so what do you do if you're finding yourself staring at the screen waiting for your computer or CAD to catch up while doing as simple as selecting a new symbol for your tree? Well you could be leaving previous seconds on the table due to simple misconfigurations or if your work environment has changed, such as going remote, perhaps your configuration needs to as well to adapt to that. Let's take a look at some common snags that can both take away or give you back time from your day when it comes to the Land F/X plugin.

Note: The following catalog of content covered in this webinar is time stamped to allow you to follow along or skip to sections of the video that are relevant to your questions. You can also search for content on this page using the FIND command in your browser (CTRL + F in Windows, Command + F in Mac OS.)

Intro/TOC
Land F/X Database Connection
LandFX.com Web Connection
Overall Network Speed
Computer Hardware
Design vs. Configuration Slowness

0:00 – 5:01: Intro/TOC

The issues covered in this presentation are also covered in our Slow Land F/X Performance: Troubleshooting Knowledge Base article. (2:27)

What can cause slow performance? (3:08)

Land F/X database connection
LandFX.com Web connection
Overall network speed
Computer hardware
Design vs. configuration slowness

5:02 – 12:27: Land F/X Database Connection

Potential pitfalls with the database connection (5:07):

Database host/server
Client/workstation
DNS
Internet connection

DNS is the most common cause of headaches with the database connection. It translates "MyPCName" to a physical address such as 192.168.0.100

Pieces of the database connection (6:17):

Client/workstation

ODBC connector using "MyServer"

Database server/host

Address: 192.168.0.100
Host name: "MyServer"

Public DNS server

12:28 – 15:27: LandFX.com Web Connection

Internet connection to LandFX.com:
Simple to test
Uses Internet Explorer – even if you don't
Has to reach aws.landfx.com
Automatically routes to endpoint with lowest latency

15:28 – 29:23: Overall Network Speed

Network speed depends on the combination of:

Network card in the computer
Router
Individual connection points (each end of wire)
Signal quality (Wi-Fi)

Why these speeds matter (18:49)

The effect of latency on loading planting symbols (20:19)

Latency and shared online folders (examples: Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox) (23:04)

How to test for latency (25:39)

29:24 – 48:06: Computer Hardware

Storage media/hard drives (29:51)

Random access (31:02)

Example: Why a solid state drive (SSD) is a better option (34:05)

How to check whether you have an SSD (45:57)

48:07 – end: Design vs. Configuration Slowness

How to differentiate between design and configuration delays (48:24):

Large designs can contain many thousands of objects.
Some functions will inherently require more time:

Sizing a mainline with thousands of dripline areas
Sizing a mainline with an excessive number of loops causes hundreds of valve paths.

Updates bring efficiency improvements:

Reduced a workflow that took 45 minutes down to 15 minutes.

Diagnosing color plans (50:14)

Colorized plans can drag at times – especially when:

Opening
Saving
Plotting

A few quick tricks (50:40):

Freeze the groundcovers/Shrub Areas.
Select new color symbols using solid fills vs. gradients.
Try a third-party PDF plotter.

Discussion of the possibility of diminishing returns on added RAM (you likely won't need any more than 16 GB) (51:41)

Distinguishing between a design issue vs. a configuration issue (54:23):

Does the problem occur in just one file? Or all your files?
If you have multiple users, are they all having the same problem?
If you're looking at a delay, time it. How long does it take to complete what operation?
Are you accessing remote/network files?

If so, copy those files to your local system and try again. Any change?

Can't figure it out? Send us a technical support ticket. (56:49)

Contact

Land F/X
PMB 351
3940 Broad St. STE 7
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
+1 805-541-1003

Our software tailors AutoCAD^®, Revit^®, and SketchUp^® to the needs of landscape architects, irrigation designers, and other professionals. We automate your most tedious tasks and ensure accuracy, giving you more time to design.