Illustrator is practically unusable with a file that is only 80mb which has lots of vectors

[Callingoutn3rds]

Illustrator is soo slow that its basically unusable. 

The file size is 80mb

It does have a lot of vectors inside it but its only 80mb

Any kind of movement or selection and illustrator sits there thinking for 1 minute. 

Is there some secret setting that I dont know about so that illustrator can perform like a modern graphics program?

I have plenty of ram, plenty of cpu. It's a powerful PC. 

GPU performance IS enabled

Really just feels like illustrator is performing like its from the year 2000

I am on the newest version. 

[Bobby Henderson]

The file is only 80MB?

A Photoshop PSD or PSB file that is only 80MB in size is no big deal. Most modestly equipped modern day PCs can hang with that okay. That's a pixel-based document. A vector file that weighs 80MB could be another matter, especially if it's 80MB of nothing but vectors. The file size isn't as much of an issue as is the number of vector objects and the properties of all those objects. Most Illustrator AI files I work with are nowhere near that large in file size unless they contain a decent amount of embedded raster-based elements. Then they can be in tens or hundreds of megabytes (or even gigabytes in some cases).

Plenty of RAM, CPU and GPU are all relative things depending on what is being thrown at those components. I can do things that can bring what's considered a beast of computer system down to its knees. I don't want to do that, but I know ways how to make it happen.

Is this the only file that is causing your computer system to lag badly? Can you upload a screen shot of the artwork? What are you computer system details?

[Callingoutn3rds]

I see your point. I figured it was because of the vectors Im using, where each strawberry or icecub has hundreds of vector points. It's only this file that is giving me problems.

But isn't that the entire point of using illustrator, to use vectors? This is for print so its 300 dpi, 2000 x 2500. Shouldn't illustrator be able to handle a few strawberries and ice cubs without struggling/freezing? 

Feels like every "new" version of photoshop and illustrator we get is going backwards in performance and speed. 

[Ton Frederiks]

Resolution, like 300 ppi, does not matter for Illustrator, it is resolution independend. The resolution is determined by the printer. Maybe you could optimize the file by using static symbols for repeating elements.

[Andy Tells Things]

Hi Alex! Like Bobby asked, is hard to give you any directions on what to do without some basic understanding of your computer and the file your working on. Can you send us some of that info?

[Callingoutn3rds]

I can't really share the file I'm working on because thats confidential right now

But basically they are flavor cards, and there is a "Strawberry kiwi" flavor for example, which has 3 [different] vector starwberries and 2 [different] kiwi vectors. The fruit vectors are very detailed and are made up of hundreds or even thousands of anchor points each. 

[Monika Gause]

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@Callingoutn3rds  schrieb:

But basically they are flavor cards, and there is a "Strawberry kiwi" flavor for example, which has 3 [different] vector starwberries and 2 [different] kiwi vectors. The fruit vectors are very detailed and are made up of hundreds or even thousands of anchor points each. 

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Sounds like you might have used blends?

How many blend steps? Probably too many and more than you would actually need.

[Ton Frederiks]

Since there are only a few strawberry and kiwi vectors, did you try static symbols?

[Callingoutn3rds]

The fruits are "realistic" 3d vectors

I am not familiar with blends, but I'm assuming thats what they are using, and theres problaby dozens of them in each fruit. 

[Monika Gause]

I am not familiar with blends, but I'm assuming thats what they are using, and theres problaby dozens of them in each fruit. 

By @Callingoutn3rds

Then this is probably the reason for the sluggishness. If they have set up those blends with the standard "Smooth color", then there are probably 200 steps in each blend. Which is too much. And which is too much to compute.