Working with a collage makes trouble

[psphufi]

While working with the collage (150 picture layers) PSP is refreshing the pspimage nearly at every klick! And that two up to four times back-to-back!
This takes minutes and minutes of time and makes me crazy...

Is there a way to avoid theses refreshes?

Description:

- I open the image file: PSP refresh two times (will need up to two minutes)
- I click on a picture to chose it: refresh two times
- Click on this layer to delete: see above...
- Changing the position of a picture, adding new picture from Raster 1, clicking on a side bar and so on... Every single click costs a lot of time while the image will be refreshed!

BTW: 4 GB RAM isn't not enough?

Thanks a lot for an idea!

----

About 20 minutes after last entry: very interesting what I found out now!

Only in overview (up to 10%) these problems happens. By zooming in (20% ore more) PSP works better; refreshing comes one or two times but it is okay because in a few seconds done.

But it is unfavorable anyway for working in an overview.

[Jean-Luc]

What is your image's size (in pixels) ?

[psphufi]

Image size: 13385*8660 pix
Photos inside: 750*500 pix, about 150 KB each.

[psphufi]

Not good, I have to modify my joy of the success!

The more I was working the more PSP got off...

[Jean-Luc]

Image size: 13385*8660 pix
Photos inside: 750*500 pix, about 150 KB each.

Each layer occupies the same memory as the background layer.
I made a test with the same image size, adding 5 empty layers:
the RAM used is 2,48 Go (2 606 603 Ko) ! (see Image informations with Shift+i)
You need at least 1To SSD harddrive, i7 quadcore processor and 16 Go RAM, I think, and not sure you will gain many speed...

[hartpaul]

My question would be why you need 150 layers

While working with the collage (150 picture layers)

Once you have positioned say 3 images in your collage, can't you merge visible to get them down to one layer?? and repeat that with the next three pictures.
Surely if you already have planned out what you want to do with your collage you should be able to reduce the number of layers. Or are you procrastinating too much over where the pictures will go?

Fewer layers = less memory use, means less information to write to disc on saves and autosaves.
Do manual saves as psp files, turn off autosave, keep the number of independent images in the workspace to a minimum.

[psphufi]

@ Jean-Luc:

Phu! Thanks for your test! That makes me angry...

@ hartpaul:

I turned off autosave in the beginning of this work, it took too many time...

Your answer gave me an input to try something out. Here is the result:

I had renamed in first column the layers into 1_DSC..., 2_DSC... and sorted them in the layers palette. This gaves me a perfect overview! I did not knew before that this is possible... It was an idea coming from inside...

Then I marked all layers in this column and choosed "Ebenen - Zusammenführen - Ausgewählte zu neuer Ebene zusammenfassen" (see 'Screenshot Layers'). Next I renamed this new Layer 'Column 1'.

That tooks no effect, all pictures were shown always in layers palette!

So I deleted all these selected layers to see what will happen: nothing! Column 1 is really there. BUT: 11 Layers were deleted so that the image becomes smaller (lighter? Or what is the name for?)...

So I will retry that steps with the next column were the pictures are right positioned. An effect I can see after this first action: refreshing is during lesser times...

Thanks a lot to all!!!

By the way: I found out that it is better to use this tool as shown in 'Screenshot Tool': pictures can very easy snapped in the magnetic guide lines, better as with the other tool.

[psphufi]

I collected six columns, then collected these columns to one named 'left side'. Effect: the more I do a little step the more slow is my computer!

An example: I had to reduce the image width for one centimeter. This cutting needs 21 minutes and was not ended: PSP got down...

As I am feeling it is not practical to collect many layers: the more collected layers the more slow is the process. I cannot understand this!

In task manager I killed all tasks that seems not necessary, no other programms were running.

Now, I feel a bit crazy because I probably cannot finish my work until 6th of December...

[LeviFiction]

Decrease the number of Undo steps. Or limit how much memory can be used for Undos. Right now the default Undo levels is 250. With the only limit on Undo being the amount of memory you have.

If you go to Preferences -> General Program Preferences and select "Undo" from the list. You'll see the options for limiting Undo steps. While decreasing the number of Undos will help for your situation I suggest limiting the actual size of the Undo as well.

Select the checkbox for "Limit undo/redo disk usage to" and set the number of MBs that can be used for Undo. Keep it high enough to continue using it, but low enough that it's not taking up a lot of your memory. I would say no more than 5-800MB of storage. There is a risk that your changes will take up too much memory and you won't be able to Undo. It depends on how much memory each action takes up in the cache.

[psphufi]

I tried out your tips: I can feel and see that PSP is running faster while working, indeed!

I did both: decreased numbers of Undo steps (20) and RAM (600).

So I don't need a supercomputer to finish my work...

Thank you very much!!

[psphufi]

Now, if I mark a layer in layers raster, how could I see this photo in the PSP image? For me, I could not find this picture...
Where ist it positioned?

[LeviFiction]

If you grab the pick tool you should see a transformation box appear around where the image is. However, if you're still struggling to find the image, you can hide all other layers quickly using the visibility options.

Go to your layers menu - Layers -> View -> Current Only

This will hide all other layers and only leave the currently selected layer visible. You can then move it somewhere you know it will be visible, then you can use Layers -> View -> All to turn all of the layers back on again.

[psphufi]

Perfect, many thanks!