Consistently Crashing Creo 9.0 Simulate

[tfilipiak]

We are doing trivially simple analyses in Creo 9.0 Simulate (Not Simulate Live...) and we are consistently crashing the computers.  (Problems taken from or similar to exercises in an SDC textbook.)  See the attached for the specifications on these computers.  I have some students that know a lot about using FEA and they are not having any more success with the classroom computers.

What might I (the instructor) try, to stop these crashes?  Do we need to upgrade our computers?  I suspect this is true.  However, are there things we could change/try on these computers that would help?  (See the attached pictures, which I believe have sufficient information for people to comment.) 

https://prodart.pl/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/creo9_hardware_notes.pdf This link seems to say that Dell computers with AMD graphics are NOT approved?  And it appears that these computers have AMD GPUs and are Dell computers.

Any input I can get would be appreciated.  All I hear is swearing from students about how many crashes are occurring.  (And I try not to swear in front of students....)

[TractorGuy · Accepted solution]

My experience is that if it is not on the approved/supported hardware list from PTC you are going to run into graphics driver issues. I had a similar problem when my company switched to Creo 7.0. Opening a symbol or moving a drawing view would cause a fatal error. It was not resolved until I upgraded to a supported video driver.

[tfilipiak]

You are quite right.  Turns out our classroom computers have AMD GPUs.  As soon as we changed rooms for computers that have Nvidia GPUs...problem solved!

[SweetPeasHub]

There are a couple things that can be tried, but generally NVIDIA GPU is what works.

However I have used CREO with even just Intel Integrated graphics with some tweaks like this.

1. Turn off preselection highlighting.

2.  Add these to your configuration file.  If it solves the crashes, maybe some can be turned on for better experience. (You can also get to most of these in the configuration menu).

Use Windows Task Manager to View the GPU charts and see if you can relate the crash to GPU. For example I had a virtual machine that crashed every time the GPU pegged to 100% and I had to give it more GPU memory to stop the crash. (to be specific NC4as_T4_v3 crashed but NC8as_T4_v3 did not.)

!!!!!Configuration file for Pro/Engineer!!!
!!!!!MINIMUM GRAPHICS CONFIGURATIONS!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

auto_regen_views no
compress_output_files no
display shade
display_annotations no
display_silhouette_edges no
edge_display_quality normal
lods_enabled yes
max_animation_time 1
overlays_enabled no
perspective_zoom image_zoom
retrieve_display background
save_model_display shading_lod
shade_quality 3
sim_display_z_buffered no
sim_run_num_threads all_but_2
sketcher_animated_modify no
sketcher_starts_in_2d no
skip_small_surfaces yes
smooth_lines no
spin_center_display no
spin_surface_mesh no
spin_with_orientation_center yes
spin_with_part_entities yes
spin_with_silhouettes no
tangent_edge_display solid
text_antialiasing no
texture yes
transparency yes
use_gpu_line_style_rendering no

[MartinHanak]

Hi,

You can also test Creo not using OpenGL.

Add following option at the end of config.pro in Notepad and start Creo.

graphics  win32_gdi

[tfilipiak]

We did try this but the because Creo Parametric 9.0 is not approved on AMD GPUs, we were still crashing the Creo software.  A switch to computers with Nvidia GPUs instantly solved this issue!