Illustrator 2020: Can't finish previewing

[patrickhealy]

Small actions like trying to apply a gradient in a tremendously simple document evoke a warning window that says "Can't finish previewing" and turns off the visibility of other layers. The original layer I was working in is never the same, now one white with black shape lines.

[Mylenium]

Well, the signs are all there: Your hardware acceleration sucks. Check your system's graphics driver and the relevant preference settings in AI.

Mylenium

[patrickhealy]

My hardware acceleration may very well suck. I only have 4gb of RAM. I bought this Surface Pro before I started working with Adobe products so frequently so I definitely didn't have it in mind. But I've been using this computer for four years and I've never had this problem before Illustrator 2020. And these files aren't that complex.

[Monika Gause]

What's in the file?

I suppose you have turned off all (!) other applications?

When was the last restart? Not just wake up from sleep.

[jambamm]

Honestly, Mylenium? I don't care what machine it is, making a basic gradient should never cause an issue. I've seen your careless comments for years and I can't believe you have the "most valuable participant" label. Why don't you learn a little more about our issues before immediately dismissing someone's system? You're like a doctor telling someone they have cancer and you haven't learned anything more than their name.

[WANNABUN]

I don't think it's the hardware.

AI CC2020 kept failing to preview on a fairly point-heavy pattern file; despite all the usual 'switch it off and switch it on again' et all.

Saved the file down to AI CS6. Previewd with no problems immediately.

It seems that Adobe are forcing users to continuously pay for software that is less stable than a version that was released 8 years ago. The list of weird anomalies in AI CC is getting longer by the day.

Every CC version I've used has presented operational problems that previous versions have never had. With previous issues being left to repeat, instead of rectified with each update.

And I'm running 16gb of RAM on an i7 MacbookPro and have been using AI since 88. It would be interesting to run a 'real-world' benchmark test against earlier versions.

Maybe I'll cancel my subscription and stick with CS6. Only really need CC to open files sent to me, if I can't relay on the latest version.

No point having new bells and whistles, if the basic stuff keeps failing.

Imagine updating to the latest model of car to find out that in no longer steers left...
And the self drive only runs at 10mph.

You could be inspiring the next software genius to cause your market leading status to be upended.

It's happened before...

Sort it out Adobe.

[Monika Gause]

So you have the Macbook Pro 16"? It's kind of famous in this forum.

Does your computer have automatic GPU detection or switching (in the system)? And can you try and turn that off?

[sbastias]

Yeah. It's a great machine. This was the only issue I encountered and I
just worked around it.

Hasn't happened since.
S.

[WANNABUN]

No its the 13 inch MBP, maxed out to 16gb RAM and a 1TB SSD (plus 8gb external scratch disk).

Have tried all the GPU on and off shenanigans.
Is it just me but it seems that CC2020 (or CC in general) is just a Lemon at the moment.

Got the job finished (had no choice but to) with no crashes or preview issues in CS6.

As soon as I opened the file in CC20 and tried to move anything around, the rainbow wheel kicked in. Or can't finish previewing'.

So just used it to package up the files for release. Even copies saved as PDF failed when viewing Output Separations in Acrobat DC Pro 20. And 3D PDFs crashed it immediately when opening.

All the same operations worked in CS6 with no problems.

Admittedly, it's a monster of a fine-detail vector pattern in the back of a packaging layout.  With 3 layers of overprinting varnishes and embosses.

But before there are cries of 'reduce the points in the vectors' etc, the point is; why can CS6 handle the file with little to no problem and the so called latest version, with 12 years of advancing features, cannot.

There were similar issues from version 8 to 9, back in the day (pre CS or CC).

Illustrator 8 was the most stable version of Illustrator I have ever used. It was impossible to get hold of a copy once word of version 9's problem got out.
But the problem now, is that the industry is virtually pressganged into the latest versions, as older 'cuts' wont run on the latest OS software and hardware.

Never had to work until the early hours to make up for crashes or failures to run as it seems is the risk we all face more often now. Shame.
Or,  just test the software works before releasing (yes, I'm a dreamer). What's the point if it doesn't work otherwise. Come on Adobe.

[ekopertama]

Oh man. I thought a minute after you said someone's stuff sucks, you would have one or two solid solutions. Otherwise, it was only about checking and doing something that the person might be had done in the first time before asking.

[WANNABUN]

3 years later and now running the latest, so called silicon optimised version, on an Apple Mac Studio 'Ultra' and still the problem exists. So it's not the hardware as the Apple Ultra flies compared to the i7 I had been using.
The problem is the Adobe Illustrator software. The GPU setting just doesn't work. And using the CPU setting may stop the lag occasionally, but makes all layer colours the same as the user interface colour (which if you are using the lightest setting, makes seleted points almost invisible). Adobe are aware of the problem and haven't managed to resolve after more than 3 years. The last response I had from them was that Apple are not helping them to resolve the compatibility issue.
Then why release the software in a broken state, or with no disclaimer that an upgrade may in fact slow down your work flow? Let's hope they make a breakthrough this year.

[KShinabery212]

I think you might need to share your system details. 

What type of computer are you using? Mac or PC?  The specifically what version... Windows 10... Mac Catalina?

What type of graphics processor is in the device....?

Do you have enough memory to complete the action?

It is always good to share info about your device when asking these questions.

[patrickhealy]

Thanks so much for responding. Forgive me if I don't give exactly the right info.

So, it's Windows 10 Pro.

4GB RAM.

64 bit operating system.

Intel Core m3-6Y30 CPU @0.90GHz 1.51 GHz

I don't know what my graphics processor in this Surface Pro if it's not in the above.

I know the computer is a few years old but I never had this problem in Illustrator before the 2020 update.

[dallasl96155266]

its uh what May 2020 and I am now experiencing this,  upto date illustrator cc  and this my imac spec , happens with or without GPU performance on.  

[spillermccool]

Before the most recent update... for me was 6-19-20, no problems.. afterword... a document that's fairly complicated, but so far has shown no problems "pre-update".. all of a sudden has crashed mulitple times and given a "can't finish previewing" window. I bought my $4200 macbook pro in October of 2018. It's maxed out in all catagories for their laptop. ........All other programs are closed, ..... blah blah blah.. have restarted multiple times... I'm not an Illustrator idiot. As you can tell I don't reach out for help.. usually don't need it, but this topic/problem is proving to be an irritating new occuarance that has nothing to do with my hardware, and i'm guessing the same with most of the other complaints. Don't get me wrong. I'm a 30 - 40 hr a week user since '99. I love my adobe work horse programs. I rely on them.                       ..........to work. 

[laraeh]

Hello! Were you able to solve your issue? It's happened to me as well. (I also have a mac)

[laraeh]

I've tried opening the file on both my MacBook and desktop Mac, same result on both.

[sbastias]

It's happening here too, Macbook Pro 2019 16", OSX Catalina....

All I'm doing is trying to add a stroke to 4 rectangles! 

I solved it by creating a NEW document, pasting my rectangles in place, adding stroke, copying and then pasting back into the original document. But this is hopefully a temporary bug.

On another note, my Illustrator also crashes intermittently. 🤔

[gsoria]

Mine also happened when I was trying to play with strokes! I also had a gradient applied to another shape in the file, but then I thought "maybe this is somehow heavy?" so I closed that file and added a completely new shape and tried to adjust the stroke and it happened again! There is nothing else in the file!

For reference:

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-8565U CPU @ 1.80GHz 1.99GHz

Installed RAM: 16.0 GB (15.8 GB usable)

[Josh CS]

I am having this issue as well. My specs should have no issues with rendering gradients, buuut it will be working fine and then the "Can't Finish Previewing" message appears and it goes to Outline mode and my View on GPU option grays out. Restarting Illustrator resets it, but it keeps happening. Boo.

[Invertus Adobe Suite]

I have same issue. I just put a stroke on a ractangle.

My computer parameters are (W10):

But I don't think, that parameters are the problem, I have never had this issue before.

Please, fix it ASAP, thanks.

[sbastias]

Just FYI, I have not experienced this since my post 8-9 months ago.

It might be an intermittent glitch...
S.