Sweet Home 3D Forum - Print Thread

Sweet Home 3D Forum » List all forums » » Forum: Installation » » » Thread: SH3D Memory Usage
Print at Dec 25, 2025, 12:00:13 PM

Posted by HawkDawg at Oct 7, 2015, 11:49:57 AM

SH3D Memory Usage
I have another question. biggrin

Reading the FAQ I found this:

and the installer version uses 1024 MB at maximum except under Windows where it's still 640 MB (this maximum is displayed in the About dialog box). For the installer version, you can change this number by udpating the value of the -Xmx Java option, as follows:

Under Windows, create a text file named SweetHome3D.l4j.ini in the same folder as SweetHome3D.exe, write the max memory Java option in that file, for example -Xmx700m for 700 MB, then relaunch Sweet Home 3D. For a value higher than 700 MB, tested as the highest value under which Sweet Home 3D can run safely on a 32-bit Windows computer with little RAM,

I'm a little confused about this.

I run XP 32-bit with 4 GB of installed RAM (Windows only recognizes 2.8 GB due to having 2 video cards installed).
In the About window, SH3D says 1 GB Max.

So is my current max memory usage 640 MB or 1 GB?
----------------------------------------
Hawk

Posted by HawkDawg at Oct 7, 2015, 11:53:32 AM

Re: SH3D Memory Usage
I guess I should mention that my processor is an AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ AM2 - 2.4 GHz and the video cards are both EVGA GeForce 7600 GT KO 256 MB.
----------------------------------------
Hawk

Posted by ElfenM at Oct 7, 2015, 5:54:44 PM

Re: SH3D Memory Usage
I do not know if this is Version 5 or version 5.1; but I'm using 5.0...

Given that, from what I read in the FAQ, User Guide and posts here the max SH3D should take is 2GB of RAM from the system. But that is the max; if your system is less than 2GB (like my PowerPC G4 and G5 systems where they average 512MB) it only takes a percentage of the RAM it needs to run; I'm figuring about 25% of total RAM. This I find is more than enough to build a small to medium house. I done 2 and 3 level houses with 3 and 4 bedrooms, each level space at about 1200 sq ft on this set up. This includes a basement. I'll admit though, it does slow down for some calculations.

It does not use the GPU or its RAM for calculations and 3D View generation like on some video games. In my case, they are ATi or nVidia video options with either 32 or 64 MB; PowerPC Macs were around from 1998 to 2008; my machines are from around 2005 to 2008.

As for PCs, my systems are Intel Duo Core or dual CPU systems running XP or Vista, with about 1.5GB of RAM, though I do have a couple P4s on XP with 512MB to 1GB; and find them about the same as my G4 PowerPC Macs.

Posted by Puybaret at Oct 7, 2015, 7:59:29 PM

Re: SH3D Memory Usage
HawkDawg, I updated the FAQ because the first sentence you reported wasn't true anymore. With the latest versions of Sweet Home 3D installer, the max memory is set to 2 GB under 64-bit Windows and 640 MB under 32-bit Windows. This value is indicated in the About dialog.
Caution : I think that if you run a 32-bit Windows system on a 64-bit processor, Windows will let programs run in 32-bit mode only.
----------------------------------------
Emmanuel Puybaret, Sweet Home 3D creator

Posted by HawkDawg at Oct 7, 2015, 11:25:14 PM

Re: SH3D Memory Usage

and 640 MB under 32-bit Windows. This value is indicated in the About dialog.

That's what I'm confused about. My About window shows 1 GB Max.

Caution : I think that if you run a 32-bit Windows system on a 64-bit processor, Windows will let programs run in 32-bit mode only.

This is correct. I'm fully aware of that. wink

It was the best suited processor available for my motherboard, for my needs at the time, way back when I built this rig about 7 years ago.
----------------------------------------
Hawk

Posted by HawkDawg at Oct 7, 2015, 11:28:44 PM

Re: SH3D Memory Usage
I don't see a way to edit posts but I do have the installer version.

Sorry for not including this in my previous post. blushing

----------------------------------------
Hawk

Posted by digitaltrails at Oct 8, 2015, 12:53:07 AM

Re: SH3D Memory Usage
The Oracle Java Virtual Machine in a Windows 32 bit environment is limited to under 1.5GB. The exact limit, and how close you can push to that limit, will vary depending on what you are doing in Windows. The JVM requires contiguous memory and Windows may not have this much unallocated contiguous memory to spare.

I suspect the 1GB max is an attempt to pick a safe value for 32 bit Windows.

and 640 MB under 32-bit Windows. This value is indicated in the About dialog.

That's what I'm confused about. My About window shows 1 GB Max.

Caution : I think that if you run a 32-bit Windows system on a 64-bit processor, Windows will let programs run in 32-bit mode only.

This is correct. I'm fully aware of that. wink

It was the best suited processor available for my motherboard, for my needs at the time, way back when I built this rig about 7 years ago.

Posted by HawkDawg at Oct 8, 2015, 1:35:30 AM

Re: SH3D Memory Usage
OK! Thanks! So I'm guessing I shouldn't try to adjust the memory limit as described in the FAQ. Just leave it as is.

I've not run into any problems yet. I was just curious.
----------------------------------------
Hawk

Posted by digitaltrails at Oct 8, 2015, 5:46:36 AM

Re: SH3D Memory Usage

OK! Thanks! So I'm guessing I shouldn't try to adjust the memory limit as described in the FAQ. Just leave it as is.

I've not run into any problems yet. I was just curious.

Setting a 32bit JVM to 1GB is pretty reasonable. Plus a 32bit JVM is more frugal with memory because all reference pointers are smaller. If the operating system cannot supply sufficient contiguous RAM, the JVM will terminate on start-up. Even at less than 1GB the JVM may still sometimes fail to start because of what else is running and how memory has been allocated by Windows (but I would only expect this if you were running lots of memory hungry stuff).

If the max is too low for size of your model, the JVM will probably become jerky or sluggish as it starts to devote more and more CPU time to garbage-collecting (looking for and recycling anything that has been freed up). If that were to occur you could try pushing towards 1.5GB.

Posted by Puybaret at Oct 8, 2015, 12:18:32 PM

Re: SH3D Memory Usage
For your information, the 640 MB to 700 MB value I recommended in the past was based on actual tests I made on my side, with a large sh3d file.
HawkDawg, I'm astonished that the about dialog shows 1 GB max for you. You added a SweetHome3D.l4j.ini with a -Xmx parameter, right?
----------------------------------------
Emmanuel Puybaret, Sweet Home 3D creator

Posted by HawkDawg at Oct 8, 2015, 3:39:49 PM

Re: SH3D Memory Usage
No, I haven't done anything with an ini file. I'm running default SH3D, with a bunch of furniture, textures, and plugins added on.

I have a utility called Speccy that gives information about my system. Here's some shots of it. First with just my A/V app, Display Fusion (multi-monitor program), and my email app (Outlook Express) open.

Here's my memory usage with SH3D running with 3DView displayed in a separate window, on a different monitor - full screen, with Firefox running in the background, all of the above running, and creating a photo with best quality.

That was taking this photo. The furniture isn't exact but I found some pretty close resembelences of what we have. smile

Of course this isn't a very big design. It's my first one and it's where my wife and I live.

I guess my system is handling SH3D pretty good, considering the antiquity of it. laughing

----------------------------------------
Hawk

Posted by HawkDawg at Oct 11, 2015, 4:33:56 PM

Re: SH3D Memory Usage
Given the above data, would it be possible, or wise, for me to adjust the max memory usage to 1.5 GB?
As I mentioned, I'm not having any problems. I'm just curious.
----------------------------------------
Hawk

Posted by HawkDawg at Oct 12, 2015, 2:14:48 PM

Re: SH3D Memory Usage
Update on this issue.

After uninstalling SH3D, which was upgraded twice and had remnants of old Java version still in place, and reinstalling 5.1, the About window now shows 0.6 GB max.
I'm going to try and adjust that to 1 GB and see what happens.
----------------------------------------
Hawk

Posted by HawkDawg at Oct 12, 2015, 3:01:42 PM

Re: SH3D Memory Usage
I created the ini file and now the About window shows 1 GB max.

Creating a photo is a little faster now and SH3D in general seems to run a bit smoother.
For whatever it's worth, here's a couple screenshots of the data before and after creating the ini file. Both screenshots taken with SH3D running and while creating a photo at 807 x 612 at best quality.

With 0.6 GB max.

After creating the ini file.

The only difference is in available physical and available virtual.
I'm going to run it like this for a while and see how it goes.

Note: I don't recommend this for others running XP 32-bit.
----------------------------------------
Hawk

Posted by HawkDawg at Oct 12, 2015, 3:05:59 PM

Re: SH3D Memory Usage
Oh yea! Here's the shot I was taking.

Honestly, I'm not trying to bump my post count. I just don't see a way to edit posts. biggrin

----------------------------------------
Hawk

Posted by Wiebenor at Dec 26, 2021, 5:18:16 AM

Re: SH3D Memory Usage
I haven't tried anything with this mod or whatever you want to call it, but I just wanted to say that my "about" page shows about 6.5Gb of available memory for use. Of course, it doesn't actually tell me it's for the memory, it's just the only thing that looks like a memory amount, but still.

I have a question about that though, which is this... Is a java VM limited to the 2Gb you guys mentioned, or, if you were loading it from a 64 bit windows preinstall image(thereby insuring only 64bit), or else natively, on 64bit computers with 8Gb or more of memory, would you be able to increase the amount above the 2Gb mark???

Also, for those who don't know, a 32 bit windows system CAN see and use more than 4Gb of memory, but it requires a file or 2 to be modified, and probably other things, which I wouldn't recommend anyone buy an expert to do (just thought it was interesting)...

Posted by Wiebenor at Dec 26, 2021, 5:21:12 AM

Re: SH3D Memory Usage
Oh, and for anyone who might wonder, my system has 16Gb of memory installed, plus it's a 3900x processor, with all m.2 and SSD storage... I don't know if anyone wants to know that, or if it helps to know that, but there you go...

Posted by skank at Jan 3, 2025, 3:52:15 PM

Re: SH3D Memory Usage
Whats the setting of 2gb in that ini file

-Xmx2048m

is that correct?
-Xmx1024m is working but narrow i see.
So i tried pulling it up to -Xmx1500m but it crashed

Current timezone is GMT
Dec 25, 2025, 12:00:13 PM