SketchUp Not Responding? - Don't believe it!

We sometimes get reports that the rendering program has crashed, or that the rendering has stopped, both of which are somewhat unlikely. When we receive models that are suspected of this behavior, we have a test that I would like to share.

The Windows dialog implies that the rendering program has stopped working. But what is really happening is the Windows has not received a reply from SketchUp in what it considers a timely manner.

Launch Windows Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del)

Launch Windows Task Manager and you will see SketchUp consuming computer resources as the model is being prepared for rendering. This won't provide you with any verbose description of what the program is actually doing, but when you see the computer in use by SketchUp you can at least be assured the program is working.

Crashed? Not Impossible, but it is Unlikely

It's not impossible that a program as CPU intensive as a rendering program might crash a computer, but it is unlikely. It's more probable that processing the model is taking longer than you expect. This can be especially true of models with components, and perhaps some of these have nested components. Components are not a problem for the rendering program, but complex components might process slower and therefore patience is required.

Disconnect the Computer from the Internet

I have one more tip for those of you who, like me process renderings after office hours and even on weekends. I've learned that it's a good idea to disconnect my rendering computer from the Internet when renderings are processing overnight or during a weekend. I've returned to my office on more than one occasion to discover that Windows updates have disrupted my renderings and a reboot is required before my computer will behave properly.