RE: Front End Memory usage while exporting many graphics
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg55721] RE: [mg55684] Front End Memory usage while exporting many graphics
- From: "David Annetts" <davidannetts at aapt.net.au>
- Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 00:59:35 -0400 (EDT)
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
Hi Gustavo,
>
> I want to create a large number of plots. I am using a setup similar
> to:
> Do[
> Export[
> "/Users/Shared/"<>ToString[x]<>".eps",
> Plot[Sin[t], {t, 0, 1}, DisplayFunction->Identity],
> "EPS"],
> {x, 1, 100000}
> ]
>
> With this setup, the Mathematica Front End memory usage
> starts growing quickly until it crashes. If the front end is
> not displaying any of the plots, I don't understand why it
> keeps using more and more memory.
>
> Is there a memory efficient way of doing this?
>
> I am using Mathematica 5.1.1 under Mac OS X 10.3.8.
This has happened to me in the past, but not for a while.
I don't know about efficient, but some solutions (or kluges if you prefer
...) spring to mind ....
(a) there is the Utilties`MemoryConserve` package. You might consider
trying to reclaim some memory at the end of each loop.
(b) run through until the front end crashes, then simply restart the loop
from the last variable. Yes, it is crude and inefficient, but it does get
results.
(c) is your loop as efficient as it can be? Shifting loop invariants
outside is a start.
(d) minimising the number of concurrent applications
(e) acquiring more memory. I have run into this problem on a 2GB system,
but only after generating a lot of plots.
Regards,
Dave.