Help Database

When I run the Chief Architect ray tracer, my computer seems to slow down significantly.  How can I better control the resources that it uses when ray tracing so that I can still use the system efficiently for performing other tasks?

If you would like to change whether the CPU allocation is for Ray Tracing, or Chief Architect, this setting can be controlled in Preferences.

To optimize for Chief Architect

1. Before ray tracing, within your plan, select Edit> Preferences .
   
   
   Note: If you change this setting when there are already ray traces in progress or queued, they will not be affected.  Only ray traces that you start in the future will be controlled by this setting.
   
   
   
2. Under Category: select Ray Trace, and move the radio button from "Optimize for Ray Tracing" to Optimize for Chief Architect and click OK.
   
   

Once a ray trace has started, you can also lower its priority within Windows.

To set the priority of the ray trace using the Task Manager

1. On the Windows Task Bar, right click in an empty area and select Start Task Manager.
   
   
   
2. Go to the Processes tab, locate the ChiefArchitectRayTracer.exe and right-click on it to display a menu.
   
   
   
3. In the menu, under "Set Priority" move the radio button to Low.
   
   

While still in the Task Manager, you can also choose which processors run the ray tracer.

To control which processors run the Chief Architect ray tracer

1. Again right click on the ChiefArchitectRayTracer.exe and this time, select Set Affinity.
   
   
   
2. In the Processor Affinity dialog, select which processers are allowed to run the ChiefArchitectRayTracer.exe, then click OK.
   
   

You may want to restore these settings to their defaults if you are going to be running a ray trace when the computer does not need to be in active use for other tasks.