Processing Contours w/ Global Mapper

[abro]

I am working on a complete map of PA.  I have completed all of Tutorial # 1 and lines 1 thru 15 of the Global Mapper inst. On Tutorial # 2. All is good until I call the files contours and click OK. After 15 minutes my computer stops processing. On the two small pop-up that are showing, the first (Finding Contour Segments) is 55%, and the other (Generating Contours) is 2% complete.

Thanks for the help,

Jim

[dhisum_dhisum]

Sometimes, it just looks like it is stuck. It is a fairly CPU/Memory intensive task and it hopefully will come back just fine. In case it says "Unknown error generating contours", it might be that your computer ran out of memory.

Global Mapper also has issues if you give you a section with no land i.e. only water. It seems to not like it and would eventually be  unsuccessful.

When I was generating the contours, I loaded all the contour directories. I would pick just a few directories at a time, load them in GM, and then generate contours for them. I would then pick a few others and continue. It sure takes time, but that is the only way I found out to have it work. I was working with the state of Washington which is excessively mountainous, so that might have also caused the memory issues.

[Boyd]

This is pretty much what my experience has been as well. Try to break the project down into smaller chunks. It can take a LONG time to process and will look like it has crashed. FWIW, I have a Core 2 duo/2.4hgz machine with 4GB of RAM.

[abro]

The reason I know the computer has stopped processing, Windows, Task Manager will notify me with a Glogbal Mapping not responding message. My computer right now is a pentium IIII  3.00 GHz processor, and 2.99 GHz clock speed with 1 GB Ram. Am I light on the ram for map making.

Jim

[dhisum_dhisum]

Actually that is not completely correct. This is a bit technical but bear with me. There are two separate things going on when a program is running. There is the UI and then there is actual processing in the background. If they are running as a single unit (i.e. technically on a single thread) and the processing is consuming insane amount of CPU, often, the UI will not respond. Windows task manager, sends messages called "Window Messages" to the UI. The UI has a certain time within which to respond. If the UI does not respond within that time window, task manager reports it as "Not responding." So, it does not really mean much since the UI could simply be stuck waiting for the heavyweight processing to finish up. For that matter, I am pretty sure that is exactly what happens with global mapper UI most of the time.

[Boyd]

I am a Windows Novice - usually work with MacOSX, Linux, Unix - except for mapmaking. I have also noticed bogus "not responding" messages with Global Mapper and Mapwel, although I don't get them unless I try clicking on something in the program while it's busy.

Again, I'm just not very experienced in these things, but a single core CPU with 1GB memory sounds a little lean for some of the heavy data crunching that Global Mapper does.

[-Oz-]

It'll work; it just takes time.  I just leave my task manager open on processes and as long as global mapper stays near 100% of the CPU I figure its still going.  Same for cgpsmapper.

[abro]

I am installing 4GB of RAM in a few minutes. I'll start processing pretty quick. Thanks for everybodies input. I'll let you guys know how we are making out.

Jim

[abro]

Apologize for not getting back for a week, I got sick. I removed the one GB of Ram and installed a set of four GB. The computer now processed all of the contour data for the state of Pennsylvania in a shade under fourteen hours. It never quit processing, as far as I know. I ran task manager on processes and let it alone.

Thanks Jim