Civil 3D Tip: Display Optimization – Additional Tips & Tricks
Smart display optimization is essential for maximizing performance. Follow these guidelines to squeeze even more from your system.
Application Optimization
Some application best practices can be followed to increase performance.
Choosing the Best Display
Run the primary Civil 3D application window on the display with the best available graphics system. Choose a display type to determine performance level. (In order of preferred type.)
- Discrete GPU display
- Integrated GPU display
- Dock or hub display
- External display adapter
Workflow Tips
Some workflow tips can be used to increase performance.
Use Named Views
Use named views to navigate to direct locations in the drawing rather than real-time panning/zooming. The less objects displayed moving at a time on the screen the better. To manage/create named views: Ribbon > View tab > Named Views panel > View Manager
Object Viewer and 3D Model Viewer
Use the Object Viewer and 3D Model Viewer instead of viewport orbit or model space views. The Object Viewer displays isolated objects selected in the drawing, based on the current view that is set in the drawing. The 3D Model Viewer (in 2026 and later) facilitates high-performance and isolated 3D review of selected objects within the Civil 3D environment.
To use the Object Viewer, select object(s) > right-click > select “Object Viewer…”
To use the 3D Model Viewer, select object(s) > right-click > select “Add to Model Viewer…”
Minimalistic Styles
Leverage Civil 3D’s ability to quickly change the display of objects and create minimalistic styles for use in various level of detail scenarios to offload unneeded display objects. Minimal display styles draw faster, and are useful for surfaces, points, and corridors. Use styles that have very little or no displayed elements. A “_No Display” style for all object types is a good start. This concept can also be extended to Civil 3D label styles.
Settings Tricks
Some settings tricks can be used to increase performance.
Optimizing Selection Variable Settings
The following settings are useful for decluttering the display.
GRIPOBJLIMIT
Specifies the maximum number of selected objects that can display editing grips. Default is 100. Performance setting: 2
HIGHLIGHT
Specifies whether objects you select in the drawing are redrawn with dashed lines for easier visibility. Default setting is 1 (on), but it can be set to 0 for faster selection of large, detailed objects. Performance setting: 0 (off)
COMMANDPREVIEW
Controls whether a preview of the possible outcome of certain commands is displayed. Note: The SELECTIONPREVIEW system variable value is ignored when COMMANDPREVIEW is on. Default value is 1 (on). Performance setting: 0 (off)
SELECTIONPREVIEW
Objects are highlighted when the pickbox cursor rolls over them. Default setting is 3 (always on), but it can be set to 0 to disable. Performance setting: 0 (off)
Summary
In previous posts we looked at principles for the foundation for display optimization and we covered AutoCAD performance best practices, including setting optimal AutoCAD variables. In this post we looked at additional tips and tricks to minimize display issues and maximize performance. Incorporating all these guidelines is essential to Civil 3D display optimization and will produce immediate returns. Do you have any display optimization tips or tricks you’d like to share? Leave them in the comments below.
