Need Help Flexi Program running slow

[Geneva Olson]

I have just moved into a new shop and we are printing graphics for the walls. They are super cool graphics with a lot of elements to them. Large files. One wall was 39,000 KB. So, I am trying to print and it takes FOREVER to load the graphic. Once I get it to the RIP and Print, it seems fine and prints fine. But it takes about 30 minutes to an hour to load the graphic into the flexi software. I looked at the specs on my computer. It's got 8MB of Ram. Flexi Requirement is 4 or more. Do I need to add more RAM? I have plenty of space on the drive. I went through and deleted a bunch of files to free up space.

HELP!

 

[Solventinkjet]

If you don't need to do any editing, you should just bring the file right into the production manager and that will skip the whole loading issue. If you do need to edit it though, usually slow loading times are due to computer hardware. Did this just start happening out of the blue or have you always had issues with big files?

 

[MikePatterson]

Flexi has always been notoriously slow at loading large file sizes.

Our RIP server is running:
Intel i7-7820X
64gig of DDR3 RAM
ASUS Motherboard
Nvidia GTX1080
500gig SSD

Even with those specs, Flexi opens large files slow. RIP is pretty fast as it is more dependent on RAM and page file size. Video card is really irrelevant on a RIP station.

I would go into your system properties and up the PAGEFILE SIZE. Pagefile is basically "virtual ram" and it uses your empty harddrive space. Cheap way to add ram for free.

 

[Geneva Olson]

Flexi has always been notoriously slow at loading large file sizes.

Our RIP server is running:
Intel i7-7820X
64gig of DDR3 RAM
ASUS Motherboard
Nvidia GTX1080
500gig SSD

Even with those specs, Flexi opens large files slow. RIP is pretty fast as it is more dependent on RAM and page file size. Video card is really irrelevant on a RIP station.

I would go into your system properties and up the PAGEFILE SIZE. Pagefile is basically "virtual ram" and it uses your empty harddrive space. Cheap way to add ram for free.

I will try that.

 

[Geneva Olson]

Flexi has always been notoriously slow at loading large file sizes.

Our RIP server is running:
Intel i7-7820X
64gig of DDR3 RAM
ASUS Motherboard
Nvidia GTX1080
500gig SSD

Even with those specs, Flexi opens large files slow. RIP is pretty fast as it is more dependent on RAM and page file size. Video card is really irrelevant on a RIP station.

I would go into your system properties and up the PAGEFILE SIZE. Pagefile is basically "virtual ram" and it uses your empty harddrive space. Cheap way to add ram for free.

Is Onyx any better?

 

[Signature Graphix]

What file types are you loading initially into flexi? A paneled wall graphic can spell loooong wait times if youre ripping it out of illustrator as .png, .pdf, .eps, etc; for EACH panel. If possible, I load the .ai files directly into production manager, you can double click the job to bring up with default job properties in case you need to check any color management things.That probably wont work for a wall graphic if its larger than 60 inches wide, as you need to arrange the panels in print and cut before print..If you have to load it in Print & Cut first, then I suggest always opening from the .ai or photoshop file.

What version of Flexi are you using?

 

[MikePatterson]

The way we design and build 99% of our wrap prints is:
Vector elements built in Flexi and exported as eps and brought into Photoshop.
Raster elements built in Photoshop.
Final design is put together in Photoshop, copied, flattened, then paneled with the marquee tool manually setting overlaps and over print.
Each panel or section saved as an eps file and either sent to Versaworks or brought straight into Flexi Production Manager for output.

Ripping is a ton faster because its broken into smaller panels and the server can RIP files while one is printing.
Plus we control the overprint and panel layout. IE an enclosed trailer we can hide the seams at the factory seams. Or a car or truck we hide the seams in out of sight areas.