Big files - Not enough storage (or RAM ?)

[The Old Man]

Hi, hope somebody can help:

I'm running Paint.Net v3.5.7 on a Netbook (Acer D250):

WinXP Home

2 GB Ram

Language: German

Well, I'm combining screen-prints (jpg) I shot from Google-Maps (1600x1200 pixels - size ca. 800 kB) to bigger sheets which I also store as JPG. The size of the end-file is normaly till about 40 MB.

I enlarge the drawing-area (Ctrl+Shift+R):

I change to 100 pixels/cm an set the sheet/print-area to 87x47 cm to be possibible, to combine ca. 20 pictures to one. But the pixels doesn't matter.

After having combined some pictures (I save after every about 2 pictures) I always get an Error-Message:

"Not enough storage available to change the layer(area,sheet)-size"! (Well, the message is in German, of course. Maybe it is different in English)

After saving and closing Paint.Net - and restarting - I can work another 4,5,6 pictures till the message comes again.

When I change the size of the print-area and try to import the next picture the Error-Message mostly comes again at once.

How can I stop this - what can be the reason?

Even as I deleted my RamDisk - to offer the System all of the 2 GB - the Error-Message came too.

Thanks!

[Rick Brewster]

The reason is that you're running out of memory. It's not lying to you, honest!

If you're working with images that big, then neither a netbook nor a 32-bit OS are the place to do it.

And remember, 40MB is the size on disk after significant amounts of perceptual compression have been applied. The amount of memory (RAM) required will be significantly higher, at 4 bytes per pixel times 3. 1600x1200x4x3 = ~23MB for a 1600x1200 image, for example.

[zxcvf]

Yea, most programs probably do use all 2G of memory at once, and having the program then take what you are saving to hard drive save and free up memory within your memory, is probably limited to how applications you have running. And given that the CPU needs to process whats running while, storing to drive and ram at the same time while also taking any inputs.

Cause even though you have say 2G run, and maybe even a dual core 1.2ghz process. Your bit rate is probably half to say per hertz. Im not sure excatly. Given that Netbooks probably dont run off 110volts they might when they arent pluggged in, and might even when they are plugged in. Might be even 60 volts. or 120, im not sure. There some numbers in there of course.

But when you are talking like not even using 100mb within just 1g of 2. Right, Then you are getting capped maybe to a multipler of ram with CPU processing. Like if the Cache of 1mb you might be at a factor of like 10. So anyone program can run 10mb of emeory from the process at a time within each block or segmwnt of storage to the memory and drive.

Seems like you just need to uncap something or find something that isnt installed to do so. Cause it would be fairly easy program to run a GB out of Ram and Hard Drive space per use of any application within just one use. Usually working with that amount of images at a time. I myself dont like to turn off my machine. I usually dont work with that many images but more of the same copy of one. Either way, put the same kind work in each time. Doesnt take very long or much to do.

Might increase your virtual memory if you can, usually is set pretty low, to allow more apps to run at once if possible. Cause at one point you just have 2gs of memory to work at a time per session of real time use. 2gs is still nice to have and use, but is getting kinda outdated with "modern" use of applications and programs, internet use even. Especially with additional software processing a lot of times.

I dont know if that helps any or not. You might have to save images and load them in a different program just for the occasions.

Edited March 3, 2011 by zxcvf

[The Old Man]

Hi, I updated from the previous version to v3.5.7 just before I've sent my question ---- this might have been a bug in the former version, because as I worked now: I didn't get that messages!!!

So, everything seems to be ok now!

Thanks for your interest & help!

[Rick Brewster]

There were a few memory leaks that were fixed in v3.5.7.

[barbieq25]

My poor laptop is very old with only 2GB RAM & is running external mouse, monitor & keyboard. I like to work in large images too but it will run out of memory at the most inopportune time. These are some of the things I do to prevent crashes & lose the image.

1. Save often. It slows you down but better than losing all your work. If you run out of memory, saving cannot be done.

2. Close PDN every so often. We have a wonderful unlimited undo which means there is a lot of data being stored associated with the image. By closing the program & reopening you lose the history but you are not using as much RAM.

I doubt that I have explained this very well or accurately but it helps me with an old clunker of a laptop.

[Rick Brewster]

History doesn't use much memory. That data is stored on disk in the AppData/Local/Paint.NET folder.

[The Old Man]

Hi, thanks - I do save quite often, of course!

But as I said yesterday: with v3.5.7 all that problems have gone!

Paint.NET is super!!!! I'm happy that I found it!