Improving MAPublisher performance

When working with map documents and large datasets, you may experience a slight decrease in performance in Adobe Illustrator. You may also experience large AI files after saving. This may be due to the number of layers and amount of spatial data being imported by MAPublisher. One possible solution to increase system performance is to buy more RAM, generally 2GB for average users and 4GB or more for power users.

However, there are several great (and free) options to try before buying another stick of RAM. These methods may sound obvious, but are often overlooked.

Remove unnecessary layers

Delete any map layers that are not required for the final map layout. This may include raster layers, hidden layers, and layers that are outside the mapping extent or artboard. Not only will this free up memory, it will also simplify your layers list and improve organization. Delete layers in the MAP Views panel or the Layers panel.

Use the MAP Vector Crop Tool

Remove or crop the data outside the artboard using the Vector Crop Tool located on the Tools toolbar. It is so simple to use compared to using a clipping mask and is very handy when creating an inset map. You can also lock layers to prevent it from being vector cropped.

Remove unused attribute information

Delete any attribute information that may be unused. Sometimes data is accompanied by a lot of attribute data. Select your data, open the MAP Attributes panel, and click Edit Schema button. Delete and organize your attributes here.

Use the Simplify Line Tool

Reduce the number of vertices available in MAP line and area layers by using the Simplify Line tool (located on the MAPublisher toolbar). This differs than the AI simplify path tool because it takes into account x and y coordinates. The proximity value or simplification tolerance is based on the vertical difference between the begin-end line and points off a line, not the distance between anchor points on the line.

Disable PDF compatibility

Finally, disable the "Create PDF Compatible File" option when saving your AI file. If you enable this option, Adobe Illustrator creates an accompanying PDF file that is compatible with any application that recognizes PDF files. The file size increases because you're saving two formats within the Illustrator file.

Hopefully, following these tips will help you reduce your overall AI file size and improve the performance and efficiency of MAPublisher for Adobe Illustrator.