The Mac FAQ

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  • GenX3DxGenX3Dx Posts: 10

    Sorry about t multiple posts. My browser wasn't refreshing.  

  • I'm not sure how well using an nVidia card, if that's what you mean, in Bootcamp would work. It's likely that, space permitting, it woudl be more effective to get a basic Windows machine rather than an eGPU unit  -then you could leave that rendering while you did other stuff on the Mac.

  • GenX3DxGenX3Dx Posts: 10

    I'm not sure how well using an nVidia card, if that's what you mean, in Bootcamp would work. It's likely that, space permitting, it woudl be more effective to get a basic Windows machine rather than an eGPU unit  -then you could leave that rendering while you did other stuff on the Mac.

    Ya know..that's actually a pretty good idea.. An eGPU costs almost as much as a gaming laptop with a GeForce GTX1060 built in.

    Thanks!

  • inquireinquire Posts: 2,202

    But wouldn't you have to move all of your files over to the Windows machine? Can you export just one big "to render file" onto the PC? Or, would you set up a home network, so that the PC looked at the Mac and then took over the rendering?

  • TotteTotte Posts: 13,979
    inquire said:

    But wouldn't you have to move all of your files over to the Windows machine? Can you export just one big "to render file" onto the PC? Or, would you set up a home network, so that the PC looked at the Mac and then took over the rendering?

    Two solutions there.
    (1) Have a disk both machines can access, for content
    (2) Spend money on Iray render server on the Windows (or linux box) and use it as a render server, not cheap though.

  • inquireinquire Posts: 2,202

    Er, I don't understand number 2. I get number 1, but only in part.

    For number 2: What is an "Iray render server"? And, how would that work?

    For number 1: Do you mean that the user would open DAZ Studio on the Macintosh computer, and do the posing, lighting, etc., there? And then, Open the scene again on the Windows PC, and then do the rendering?

    Hope you have time to anwser, because I'm thinking of getting a new Macintosh, and I'd like to make the best decision.

  • TotteTotte Posts: 13,979
    inquire said:

    Er, I don't understand number 2. I get number 1, but only in part.

    For number 2: What is an "Iray render server"? And, how would that work?
     

    nVidia has a server program that you can connect DAZ Stuio to and render there.

    inquire said:

    For number 1: Do you mean that the user would open DAZ Studio on the Macintosh computer, and do the posing, lighting, etc., there? And then, Open the scene again on the Windows PC, and then do the rendering?

    Yes, if yiu have you content directory on a volume that Windows can mount, you can conenct the Windows DS to it.

    inquire said:

    Hope you have time to anwser, because I'm thinking of getting a new Macintosh, and I'd like to make the best decision.

     

  • inquireinquire Posts: 2,202

    And you're saying that the iRay render server program at nVidia is not cheap. But I would also need a Windows PC or a PC running Linux. This wouldn't work on a Macintosh. How about just getting a really fast Macintosh Pro: that would cut down on the render time, even if its rendering in CPU, right?

  • TotteTotte Posts: 13,979
    inquire said:

    And you're saying that the iRay render server program at nVidia is not cheap. But I would also need a Windows PC or a PC running Linux. This wouldn't work on a Macintosh. How about just getting a really fast Macintosh Pro: that would cut down on the render time, even if its rendering in CPU, right?

    Would work but GPU is still so much faster. 
    I would recommend the setup I have if you wanna stick to Mac (I will).
    I would go for a : https://eshop.macsales.com/configure-my-mac/UAFE2F7CXXE4XXD

    Configure it and put an GTX 1070 or 1080 in it (and if you can, get your hands on an old GT-120 to get boot screen.

    / Totte

     

  • inquireinquire Posts: 2,202

    OK, thanks very much for your recommendation.

  • Totte said:
    inquire said:

    And you're saying that the iRay render server program at nVidia is not cheap. But I would also need a Windows PC or a PC running Linux. This wouldn't work on a Macintosh. How about just getting a really fast Macintosh Pro: that would cut down on the render time, even if its rendering in CPU, right?

    Would work but GPU is still so much faster. 
    I would recommend the setup I have if you wanna stick to Mac (I will).
    I would go for a : https://eshop.macsales.com/configure-my-mac/UAFE2F7CXXE4XXD

    Configure it and put an GTX 1070 or 1080 in it (and if you can, get your hands on an old GT-120 to get boot screen.

    / Totte

     

    I'm not seeing the 1080 as an option there. Am I looking in the wrong place, or am I just missing a step?

  • TotteTotte Posts: 13,979
    Totte said:
    inquire said:

    And you're saying that the iRay render server program at nVidia is not cheap. But I would also need a Windows PC or a PC running Linux. This wouldn't work on a Macintosh. How about just getting a really fast Macintosh Pro: that would cut down on the render time, even if its rendering in CPU, right?

    Would work but GPU is still so much faster. 
    I would recommend the setup I have if you wanna stick to Mac (I will).
    I would go for a : https://eshop.macsales.com/configure-my-mac/UAFE2F7CXXE4XXD

    Configure it and put an GTX 1070 or 1080 in it (and if you can, get your hands on an old GT-120 to get boot screen.

    / Totte

     

    I'm not seeing the 1080 as an option there. Am I looking in the wrong place, or am I just missing a step?

    There are no official 1060-1080 cards for OSX (they lack the EFI boot code in the ROMs so they will boot without boot screen. ) The cards you have to get somewhere else as OWC only have videocards with EFI boot and only AMD cards,

     

     

  • inquireinquire Posts: 2,202

    And is it permissible to say where the 1060-1080 cards could be gotten? Or, is that on the shadier, hackintosh side of things? I don't even know what the EFI boot code is. And why would I want one of those cards: is it so that it would run the iRay code in GPU?

  • TotteTotte Posts: 13,979
    inquire said:

    And is it permissible to say where the 1060-1080 cards could be gotten? Or, is that on the shadier, hackintosh side of things? I don't even know what the EFI boot code is. And why would I want one of those cards: is it so that it would run the iRay code in GPU?

    Yes, to run iRay GPU wise. EFI is the boot system Apple uses while the "PC plattform" still sits on BIOS. When you boot a Mac with a videocard without EFI (and those you cannot find really, specally nVidia cards), you get a black screen until the Video driver has loaded. 

  • inquireinquire Posts: 2,202
    edited November 2019

    And where would one find the GTX 1060 to 1080 cards? And the GT 120? Do I just Google this?

    Yes, Googling does help some.

    Post edited by inquire on
  • TotteTotte Posts: 13,979

    GT-120s are hard to come by and overly overpriced just becuase you want then to have a boot screen on your mac.
    1070 or 1080 csn be found almost everywhere as you by the PC version, just assure it has displayport, even if you not plug a screen in, as the nVidia driver will not enable the card unless it has a displayport.

    And never ever update beyond OS X 10.13!

  • I would just upload the mac files to dropbox and then download them from dropbox on the PC.

  • Also.. I'm looking at 2 different laptops.. One has a GeForce GTX 1070 and the other is a 1650..  Any major differences between the two besides the 1650 being newer?

  • inquireinquire Posts: 2,202
    GenX3Dx said:

    I would just upload the mac files to dropbox and then download them from dropbox on the PC.

    If you're going to do this, would you just upload the final duf scene file? Or, would you have to upload all the files and folders for the characters, scenery, props, clothing, lights, etc.? Or, are you talking about your entire DAZ directory? I'm wondering how complex this would have to be.

  • inquireinquire Posts: 2,202

    Just thinking: If Catalina does not have the latest versions of Open GL and Open CL, how difficult would it be to add the latest versions and write in an application or code that specifies that the OS must use the latest versions, at least for some apps such as DAZ Studio, Poser, and Reality? 

  • TotteTotte Posts: 13,979
    inquire said:

    Just thinking: If Catalina does not have the latest versions of Open GL and Open CL, how difficult would it be to add the latest versions and write in an application or code that specifies that the OS must use the latest versions, at least for some apps such as DAZ Studio, Poser, and Reality? 

    Apple's solution is to Switch to Metal, OpenGL and OpenCL as in the eyes of Apple dead. It has to do with the fact they developed Metal to fit their HW better, so at 10.16 OpenGL/CL are offically dead unless apple change their minds. 

  • inquireinquire Posts: 2,202

    Well, OK, what I'm asking is if Open GL can be added to an Apple OS. For example, I found this:

    To use GLUT and OpenGL from within Xcode:

    • Open Xcode located in "/Developer/Applications/"
    • Choose "New Project" from the file menu
    • Choose "Command Line Tool" under the Application template for Mac OS X
    • Choose type "C++"
    • Enter your desired project name and directory and click create
    • In the "Linked Frameworks and Libraries" area click the "+" button, and select "OpenGL.framework"
    • Repeat for "GLUT.framework"

    When #including OpenGL & GLUT header files (but not the regular ones like iostream) within Xcode, make sure to do so like this:

    #include <OpenGL/gl.h>
    
    #include <OpenGl/glu.h>
    
    #include <GLUT/glut.h>
    

    in other words:

    #include <name_of_framework/name_of_header_file.h>

    I'm not a programmer, but it sounds like it's do-able.

  • TotteTotte Posts: 13,979
    edited November 2019

    That is one way to link to OpenGL,, or include it, so your code can call it (you later link to it during the build phase) not add it. This is how DAZ Studio when built is told ton use OpenGL, but it still requires the actual referenced libraries to be there, and to work properly.

    Post edited by Totte on
  • inquireinquire Posts: 2,202

    A series of Questions, which I'll  number:

    1.  So, are you saying that  Open GL & Open CL codes can't be written into OS 10.16, for users who wish to render with them?

    2.  Or, could someone write an application that would take the Open GL & Open CL codes and transfer them into Metal for whichever applications you wanted, such as        DAZ Studio, Poser, Reality, LUX? 

    3.  Or, as still another alternative, do any of the high-priced applications that are going to go with Apple's Metal, let us use DAZ characters, or Poser characters?

    4.  At least the new Mac Pro with 10.15 still has Open GL and Open CL, so with it's new components, it should be faster than the Macs are today. It's just that there won't be any nVidia components that work with it, huh? But it looks like that with a lot of Ram, the renders should still be pretty speedy.

  • TotteTotte Posts: 13,979

    1) Apple has said they will remove OpenGL and OpenCL Libraries. Third party developers can (and are already) developing libraries but as back in Mac OS 7 days, they will cost.

    2) Yes, it "just" involves somewhere between 1000 and 3000 man hours of work, per program  to do it.

    3) Might be, but I think DS will be there, but still, no Iray GPU rendering as Apple wont let nVidia sign their drivers and 10.14+ won't load unsigned drivers.

    4) Without GPU, it's CPU that counts, CPU, RAM and system bandwidth. You will be able to render pretty quick on it, and OpenCL (dForce) will run pretty quick as well.

    All we cn do is that Apple and nVidia buries the hatchets.



     

  • Hi everyone.... please excuse my syntax because I am totally deaf and speak American Sign Language... it's not exactly like English.  Hope you can understand me.  I still struggle with DAZ Studio because I downloaded DAZ Studio but it keep coming up and says it can't open because the developer can't verified.  I looked for help...but it does not help me.  Ask you... I removed the whole DAZ Studio because I will buy a new  16 GB Ram Hard Drive external for macbook air 2017 this Friday for Black Friday.  After I removed it.... suddently a box came up for a new update.   I clicked to accept it.  It was downloading a new version.  MAC iOS 10.15 right now.   Not photos of mountians anymore.  Just Catalina2019.   So I thought I wanted to get DAZ Studio but it won't work.  It keep saying that it can't open because of the developer can't be verified.  what does it mean?  Can you guys help me?   Please write very plain English because I can't understand some HARD words.  

    P.S.  I am planning to buy a new hard driver external for Macbook Air 2017.

    Plus .... buy 16 GB ram this weeked.    Please help me quickly as you can!  Thanks.

    Thank you!

    Joey 

     

  • TotteTotte Posts: 13,979
    edited November 2019

    Hi everyone.... please excuse my syntax because I am totally deaf and speak American Sign Language... it's not exactly like English.  Hope you can understand me.  I still struggle with DAZ Studio because I downloaded DAZ Studio but it keep coming up and says it can't open because the developer can't verified.  I looked for help...but it does not help me.  Ask you... I removed the whole DAZ Studio because I will buy a new  16 GB Ram Hard Drive external for macbook air 2017 this Friday for Black Friday.  After I removed it.... suddently a box came up for a new update.   I clicked to accept it.  It was downloading a new version.  MAC iOS 10.15 right now.   Not photos of mountians anymore.  Just Catalina2019.   So I thought I wanted to get DAZ Studio but it won't work.  It keep saying that it can't open because of the developer can't be verified.  what does it mean?  Can you guys help me?   Please write very plain English because I can't understand some HARD words.  

    P.S.  I am planning to buy a new hard driver external for Macbook Air 2017.

    Plus .... buy 16 GB ram this weeked.    Please help me quickly as you can!  Thanks.

    Thank you!

    Joey 

     

    Rightclick Daz Studio, select Open..., then answer "Yes" to the question from GateKeeper about running the program. This is only done once, as Gatekeeper will save your choice.

     

    Post edited by Totte on
  • Haruki790Haruki790 Posts: 55
    edited December 2019

    Hello,I'm wanting to move DS and My 3D Library onto an external drive,however all I seem to find for info on this topic is Windows related.

    Is the process any different when using MacOS ( 10.14.6 ,Mojave)?

    Thanks

     

    Post edited by Haruki790 on
  • Hello, I’ve run up against an issue that I hope someone can help me with.

    An Error Message:
    “Duplicate formulas found in files. Make sure that the content is properly installed. See the log file for more details.”

    The log file is confusing, I’m not sure what to look for. 

    I have my DAZ content on an external drive, which has worked fine until now. I updated to Daz 4.12 today, and I see this message when, for example, I’m loading the Base Genesis 8 Female, which comes in with the mesh distorted. I’m guessing that if I remove the duplicate files from where they are installed on my Mac hard drive, Daz will just read from the external drive, problem solved? Maybe someone has had this issue and can clue me in that I’m on the right track, or not?
    Thanks

  • inquireinquire Posts: 2,202

    If I were to buy the New Mac Pro and new Monitor: What would be the best options for speed in rendering using the Open CL and GL in Catalina? I can't afford the most expensive, but how much Ram should I get? (I have 64 GB of memory now.)  One or two Video Cards? (I have two AMD FirePros now.) How about the cores? (I have a 12 core Intel X5 now.)

    Are the new processors, ram, video cards much faster than those I have now, which are in a Mac Pro, late 2013 edition?

    Any recommendations?

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