Basecamp CPU Usage

Every version of Basecamp that I've used seems to have very high CPU usage when it is running in the background (i.e., when Basecamp is still open but when I'm not actively using it). Whenever I look at
"top -o cpu" in the terminal, basecamp is invariably at the top of the list with 50 to 100% cpu usage. Thank goodness that it confines itself to just one core and doesn't break the 100% barrier. But what is causing this behavior? Can Basecamp not run in the background peacefully like other software that I use? What is it doing with all that processor power?

Thanks,

Dan
  • On an intel mac 2.8 GHx Intel Core 2 Duo it never gets above 3.7%.
  • Interesting. My 2.16 GHz has met it's match with Basecamp; the fan is running pretty much the whole time that BC is open.

    Maybe I should just get a snazzier laptop :)
  • Oh, I have about 300 tracks and about 1500 waypoint loaded in basecamp. Would this make a difference?
  • I have 150 waypoints, 25 routes, 9 tracks and a couple of custom maps. Just 3.7% when running in the background.
  • The biggest thing that BaseCamp is doing is updating the 3-D view 20 times a second. Try switching to 2-D mode, or better yet minimizing BaseCamp and see if the number drops. On my computer, it goes from around 4.5% to .4% when I do that.
  • Is it realy base camp and not the ant agent?

    Are you sure that is actually the base camp using the cpu? I am in the situation at the help program ant agent is using cpu all the time my computer is working even basecamp is not working. I can switch that program off but I will have to do that every time I have opened the computer again. And now I have am not even sure I need the ant agent because I have edge 705 and do only make usb transfer to the computer and no wireless.
    Greetings Erik Dam
  • If you are not using a wireless ANT device, e.g. FR 60, Forerunner 310, etc. then you do not need the Ant Agent. However, Ant Agent should not be using much CPU for any length of time.
  • On my Vanilla iMac - Basecamp is a dog. Even 3.0.2 which should have a number of improvements i'm seeing 14-17% CPU utilization, with a memory footprint of over a Gigabyte.

    Photoshop and Illustrator running at the same time bog my system down less. That said - Mapsource used to be a pig too - so I'm not too shocked.

    I'd be happy with the piggyness if it would just provide the service I paid for with Birdseye. :(
  • The main reason BaseCamp would take up lots of CPU while idling is if your computer's graphics card ends up running our 3D view in software mode, i.e. rendering on the CPU instead of the GPU. We attempt to detect this and run the 3D view at a lower framerate to compensate for it, but it will still take up much more CPU than running 2D-only view on the same machine.

    That said, even if you do have a graphics card that can render this in hardware , it may take up a few percent more CPU while a 3D view is visible (Azdrmn's 4.5 to 0.5% example) because it's usually redrawing the screen at 30fps.

    FYI, any Pro Mac/MacBook, or iMacs/MacBooks less than 2 years old, probably has sufficient GPU to avoid running the software renderer.