Out of Memory

[vtechdev]

I am trying to create a site with a bunch of pictures, I've created 4 pages that each have about 20 pictures each in thumbnail format that popup 500px versions on click. The site is crashing a vista machine with dual core 2.0Ghz processor, and 2GB memory. Is this just the way XWD handles memory? Can it even function on a machine with 2GB memory or is there some way to improve memory use?

[Soquili]

Hi VTechDev,

Web Designer will work on a machine with only 256MB RAM so you 2GB RAM is more than enough.

The issue is more likely the number of images and their file sizes. If the images are photos optimize them for use on the web. Images direct from digital cameras are extremely large filesizes.

[Ross Macintosh]

Further to what Bill writes, note that Xara-WD has a built-in image optimizer. Right-click on an image & the optimizer will be one of the contextual options.

Also note it is possible to have multiple windows open in Xara-WD. Closing unnecessary ones can give your memory some relief.

Regards, Ross

[nickydude]

I am trying to create a site with a bunch of pictures, I've created 4 pages that each have about 20 pictures each in thumbnail format that popup 500px versions on click. The site is crashing a vista machine with dual core 2.0Ghz processor, and 2GB memory. Is this just the way XWD handles memory? Can it even function on a machine with 2GB memory or is there some way to improve memory use?

I'm doing something similar on my site (thumbnail images that pop up). Here's what I did to reduce the overall size.

Group all your thumbnail images into one big image and save it as a .jpeg, this will of course remove the ability to click on individual thumbnail (as it's now one big image) but it also removes the fact that you're saving each individual thumbnail and will greatly reduce the file size.

Then create rectangles the same size as each thumbnail image and place the rectangles over the top, change the transparency to around 99% and use the rectangles as clickable images.

[cursor]

Still another way is to divide your project into multiple .web modules. This will require some manual notes and standardized naming conventions to ensure proper linking between modules.

[vtechdev]

Thanks for all of the replies.
I'm disappointed that XWD is such a memory pig, the whole allure of the product was dragging and dropping images right out of my archive onto the page. The fact that this won't work for more than a few pages means the work flow goes down the toilet. Being forced to use another program to batch optimize photos is a real downer.
Since the program keeps all images from all pages in memory it is totally unsuited for use with photos straight from the camera, but since that is what most people have, shouldn't the tool do something to manage memory use?
I've got to say it is fun to use, but it clearly isn't much more than a personal page maker since it can't handle much more.
I will continue to use it to make pages with the children, but I must say I really thought it would be a more serious tool than it is.
If you could find a way to reduce memory use to the page that is currently being edited it would really have potential for cool personal sites.

[steve.ledger]

Being forced to use another program to batch optimize photos is a real downer.

No need to batch resize in an external program, all done within WD

Please try these example steps:

• Drag photos from camera memory card to WD window.
(Photos are auto resized to 500pix by default)

• Select all photos, right-click >> Optimize Photo (choose 96dpi and 75% JPG quality)
• Open Bitmap Gallery
(Note gallery lists originals and optimized versions.)
• Shift+Select original photos - right-click >> Delete

Job done..

[cursor]

Expecting something for nothing is foolish -- particularly for anyone [that considers themselves to be ] reasonablly mature. What else might reasonably be done to intelligently direct the potentially endless digital processing for a program like Xara Web Designer? Steve offered an intelligent, responsible recommendation in the previous post. Thanks, Steve.

[ss-kalm]

......... Being forced to use another program to batch optimize photos is a real downer.........

Ignoring for a moment the fact that Xara can do this internally (As Steve pointed out), If you were using Dreamweaver, Frontpage etc. or even writing this by hand, do you expect that even a 1MP picture is suitable for use on a web-page without further editing. As far as I am concerned if a picture is more than 100kb then it's too big anyway. Surely you don't make your pages with multiple hi-res pictures .......!

[cursor]

Please try these example steps:

• Drag photos from camera memory card to WD window.
  (Photos are auto resized to 500pix by default)
• Select all photos, right-click >> Optimize Photo
  (choose 96dpi and 75% JPG quality)
• Open Bitmap Gallery
  (Note gallery lists originals and optimized versions.)
• Shift+Select original photos - right-click >> Delete

That's interesting. In trying to bring in a photo at a size greater than 500 pixels wide (by explicitly replacing the default 500 with 800 in the 'Photo optimize > Bitmap Size > Width' field), a 500 pixel photo remains on the screen. If I look at the stats in the bitmap gallery, it shows 500 pixels wide. Am I correct in assuming that this is directly connected with this thread?