wrote:

i am not so sure

drawed there only 3 objets with lights ']

and while photoshop with loaded 2 a4 prints eating 1GB of ram just

and since when u r proffesional with graphic design and as a result - with using of cs suite?

I work almost everyday 8-10 hours since 3 years on pshop+illu+acro+indes+destiller combo - and yes definitly u have sth messed up with u r settings - as I can open an ai. file with more less 3000 vector shapes - (text changed to curves - its a 2xa4 facing pages of a brochure) - and it stills takes less mem. And yes - this r default settings.

Also if u would know anything about psd files - u would know it is possible to have a totally blank file - freshly opened, with no layers inside (just background) and still very huge - due to the possiblility of making snapshots, or dozens of alpha channels or anything else. Also remember that rgb will take less than cmyk, cmyk less than hexachrome.

My wild guess could be u r using illustrator cs1 without patch - as the cs1 was bugged and needed update in firs place.

O.o - using 3d effects in ai is in first place mem consuming (no wonder then it took 0.5 gb) and was bad example as a common use of illustrator As this effect is not used very often (almost no at all). Second - it gives crapy results - overlapping surfaces for example - and may couse some problems in pdf for some printing houses with older software - (same goes for transparency masks, gradient meshes, shadow effects, etc.) - sure u can export it as a flats to avoid.

Anyway - would be simpler to use 3dmax or anything. Hint - in general - for 3d objects use software with 3d or 4d in name

anwsering the second question - no - its not the matter of money.

anwsering to third - u understood me wrong - I give an example that not only ur a4 print can take such a load of mem usage - blank page can take it as well.

Anyway - the discussion with u is waste of time - couse as in every subject u post about, u r self proclaimed master.