How can I know if my geoprocessing tool is still going (and is not stuck)?

AntoineCantin · ‎03-16-2016

I started a Topo to Raster yesterday and the result window shows the hourglass, but I can't see a progress bar or anything showing me progress. I'm afraid it's bugged or something and I can't waste a day to wait if in the end I don't get results. The windows task manager shows that RuntimeLocalServer is running and using around 20% of my processor and 400Mo of memory.

Anyone can help me with that?

DanPatterson_Retired · ‎03-21-2016

Yes big area, that is what I was wondering what your cell size was. It is the old addage, if you halve the cell size, you quadruple the raster size. So even if you can find a ratio of an appropriate cell size for your most detailed view covering the smallest area, you may find that a compromise cell size that is appropriate for both. You don't need to double the cell size, you just need to increase it. For example going from a 5 m cell size to 6 m means the cell area goes from 25m^2 to 36 m^2 which for 1 km^2 (1000m * 1000m) means you go from 40,000 cell to 27,778 cells or a reduction of 30%. The 6m/5m is a ratio of 1.2 in terms of cell width but 36/25 = 1.44. So small changes in the cell width, (area) can produce large reductions in file sizes for extremely large areas.

If this isn't the case... never mind... but you may start running into display speed issues, which will require similar or associated changes to your data structure.

View solution in original post

ChrisDonohue__GISP · ‎03-16-2016

It can be difficult to tell if the program is still running or if it crashed. It is not uncommon for a geoprocessing tool to keep running for quite a while and even have the message "Not Responding" show up, yet it is actually running fine.

My guess would be since you already checked in Task Manager that it appears to be running that it really is still running, and that you have a very large dataset you are crunching.

Another way one can sometimes get a sense of where it is at is if one ran the process with the Geoprocessing Options for "Background Processing" unchecked (disabled). This would put the message window up as it runs, which sometimes allows one a sense of the progress.

Chris Donohue, GISP

DanPatterson_Retired · ‎03-16-2016

The the reporting mechanism is different and presented in the help topics

Foreground and background processing—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop

ModyBuchbinder · ‎03-16-2016

There are two things I do.

First if you see ups and downs in the cpu and change in memory in the task manager the tool is working. If it is stuck it will have the same cpu percent and memory.

The other way is to check the output. If you create a new data you can chack the size in windws explorer (of the fgdb directory).

It usually write data in blocks so the size is not changing all the time but it still have to draw every few minutes.

Have fun (and patience)

AntoineCantin · ‎03-17-2016

Thanks for your answers. I'm far from being an expert in computers, so I still have a few questions...

1- Is background processing faster than foreground? Or it's sole interest is to be able to work (well, your still limited) on your project?

2- With the linked print screens would you be able to tell me if my geoprocessing is stuck? (My OS is in french, so do not hesitate to ask for a translation)

3- It seem like Arcmap ain't using the full capacity of my computer. Can I optimize it? Change some settings to boost it?

I have a Asus ROG G75VW

Windows 10 64bits

Intel Core i7-3630QM CPU @ 2.40GHz

16.0GB RAM

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M

ModyBuchbinder · ‎03-17-2016

It looks line you did not installed the 64bit background processor. This is ususlly quicker because it is 64bit.

You RuntimeLocalServer should be 64bit.

Most commands will use unly one core. If you have 4 cores then 21% is almost full core.

If the result disk is on network it might slow things down.

AntoineCantin · ‎03-17-2016

Where can I find the 64bit background processor?

curtvprice · ‎03-27-2016

Ships with ArcGIS Desktop

AntoineCantin · ‎03-21-2016

After 91 hours, TopoToRaster finally came to an end. I joined the unsatisfying result.

Can someone explain to me what I did wrong? What are those yellow rectangles? When I create a hillshade from this raster, it's complete nonsense... I ran the same operation with a smaller portion of this one and the result was perfect.

DanPatterson_Retired · ‎03-21-2016

Can you elaborate on the size of the study area and the cell size that you are trying to do the analysis. Is there a need to have the hillshade at the same resolution as scale varies? Have you ruled out producing layers suited to visualization and those for analysis. I am just trying to get a handle on the analysis versus visualization components of your work.