Modo and Maya require a minimum of GL 3.3 for their advanced viewport features, C4d still works with 2 if need be.

On the interface front Modo uses QT throughout much like Houdini and I believe Maya is pretty much QT based these days.

I understand it's impossible to compare the way that different DCC applications implement what appears on the surface to be similar technologies; and I'm sure you've done everything you can to get these frustrating OS X issues resolved.

twod mentioned this previously but I think you missed it. Houdini only uses QT underneath the hood to help isolate platform-specific UI dependencies. The entire interface (includes all the UI widgets like menus, buttons, text, etc) is drawn using custom code in GL.

FVGDOTCOM
Stability problems I was having related to corrupted preference folder or upstream cooking issues.

Yep, the preferences do have a large role to play - just had the tag visualises not displaying any text in the viewport, throwing out the preferences fixed it. Nvidia 980 Web drivers, Os X, H15.0.441

MartybNz

FVGDOTCOM
Stability problems I was having related to corrupted preference folder or upstream cooking issues.

Yep, the preferences do have a large role to play - just had the tag visualises not displaying any text in the viewport, throwing out the preferences fixed it. Nvidia 980 Web drivers, Os X, H15.0.441

I keep several revisions of preference folder backup.

VR

Lars

MartybNz
Yep, the preferences do have a large role to play - just had the tag visualises not displaying any text in the viewport, throwing out the preferences fixed it. Nvidia 980 Web drivers, Os X, H15.0.441

Standard practise these days isn't it.

Between daily builds of Houdini and having 2/3 beta builds of Modo being refreshed every week I've got in the habit of binning my preferences as a standard course of action.

Really doesn't bother me. I rather start on a clean footing; it can save a lot of trouble in the long run.

Jonathan Moore2

MartybNz
Yep, the preferences do have a large role to play - just had the tag visualises not displaying any text in the viewport, throwing out the preferences fixed it. Nvidia 980 Web drivers, Os X, H15.0.441

Standard practise these days isn't it.

Between daily builds of Houdini and having 2/3 beta builds of Modo being refreshed every week I've got in the habit of binning my preferences as a standard course of action.

Really doesn't bother me. I rather start on a clean footing; it can save a lot of trouble in the long run.

Hmm. Sounds like there is a need for an automated preferences folder backup app, which would automatically backup preference folders for all 3D applications and keep them in a MySql database.

VR

Lars

I'm now running 15.0.448 and it's running fine!
Thank god for that!

Excellent news!

Looking briefly at the tech specs of latest Apple computers, it appears that Houdini might now be running fine on all of them then

Modo 10s advanced viewport is nifty but after living through the nightmare that was / is the 900 series, I am gobsmacked anyone would point to them as a shining example of development. Simply stunned.

kevintraywick
Modo 10s advanced viewport is nifty but after living through the nightmare that was / is the 900 series,

True! Modo 90X is effectively non-functional for many that I'm surprised that owners don't argue to their accountants that they should be able to write if off and claim the full expense. That reduction in tax can pay for the Modo10 upgrade. 8)

Marty/Kevin,

I agree with you both. Modo 901 was a horrific launch that took three service packs before it behaved as it should. But v10 is more stable than 902 SP3 - a v1 version effectively being more stable than the 6th generation of the previous release.

The Modo development team have moved to regular incremental releases so the hell of 901 (and in part 801) never happens again.

But Modo itself is pretty irrelevant in this conversation , however it's OpenGL capabilities, specifically the manner in which it functions on a wider variety of hardware configurations across OS X, Linux and Windows than Houdini (since H14) is relevant. I also mentioned Maya and C4D and the fact that they also play very well on a wider set of hardware configurations. The statement wasn't some kind of fanboy tribalism, just a statement reflecting conversations I've had with a wide set of studios and via my own testing. I don't engage in ‘my toy is bigger than your toy’ conversations, it's a futile pursuit.

Part of the reason that Modo functions on a wider variety of hardware systems is that it provides a range of OpenGL flavours so even if a users hardware can't run the new Advanced Viewport it can run less advanced viewports so all isn't lost. If I had to pick a benchmark viewport to emulate it would be Maya's Viewport 2.0. Even though it lacks the IBL/PBR splendour of Modo's AVP in 10.0 it manages far greater viewport frame rates.

It's a pity that Houdini can't perform at it's best across a range as platforms the way it did in the past (until H13). I acknowledge that much of the reason for these problems lie at the foot of Apple but that doesn't change the fact that the problems still exist. But snide remarks about other DCC's is really adding to the conversation either.

kevintraywick
Modo 10s advanced viewport is nifty but after living through the nightmare that was / is the 900 series, I am gobsmacked anyone would point to them as a shining example of development. Simply stunned.

When we switched to GL3 in H12.0 it was pretty rocky too. It's not an easy thing to transition from legacy GL to modern GL. In fact, it's probably a lot easier to transition from modern GL to Vulkan, and that's a completely different API

Yup - I'd vote for newer & improved viewport features, i.e shadows, reflections, GI, GL Rop, Metal & Vulkan upgrades, than bug fixing older junk shows; it's more fun to bug fix newer shiny junk

I binned the AMD card way back when it wasn't working. Highly reccomended!