Rhino 8 Feature: Metal Based Display on Mac

Serengeti (Rhino WIP) Mac
1

Metal is now the default display technology being used on Rhino 8 for Mac. This is the preferred display technology on all modern Apple products. Our hope is that by using metal we will see improved stability and performance for display.

We are currently working to make sure all of the display creates the correct results which would match what was generated by OpenGL in the past. Once this phase is complete, we will begin working on optimizations for performance improvements.

Please let us know if anything looks incorrect while using Rhino 8.

21 Likes
2

Transparent objects in the render view do not show changes to color.

3

Changing the setting for surface edge color in Arctic mode doesn’t seem to be working.

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I made a test with a large number of the same close solid polysurface elements (315 pieces) and the same elements only as the same block (also 315 pieces). As you can easily guess, the file with 315 closed solid polysurface is much larger (883 MB) than the file with blocks (5,4 MB). What surprised me was the smoothness of operation and rotation with the polysurface file was better than with blocks. Is it possible to improve this because I often use the same elements and I would not like them to slow down the smoothness of operation.

Jacek

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Rhino 8 Cycles rendering will use the power of the new mac studio for GPU rendering?

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Yes, Rhino 8 Cycles uses the GPU on Mac

7

Wow! Great news! So, does the Rhino 8 WHIP have this feature? Anyone could share a little video that shows the speed of rendering GPU MAC?

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Yes, this is in the Rhino 8 WIP. Probably best to give it a try yourself.

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Now I’ve only a Mac Mini 2018 that is very slow with Rhino raytraced rendering. So I would like to be sure if I buy the new Mac studio M2 ultra with 76 core GPU (6.500 €…) I will be able to render at a reasonable speed…

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My suggestion:

  • Go to a nearby Apple Store
  • Drop your Test files on a Mac there via AirDrop/Cloud (e.g. M2 Ultra Mac)
  • Install the latest WIP build - dont move it to the applications folder (impossible in the store), just double click it
  • Open your test file and make some measurements (Render,TestMaxSpeed etc.)
  • also works fine with larger GH scripts, as GH plugins are automatically installed via the package manager.
  • be sure to take a chair, because it will take some time

Hope this helps,
Rudi

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thanks, Rudi, but I think is a bit complicated in an Apple store… someone is using the Rhino 8 WIP with a Mac Studio Ultra to give an opinion?

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If you are planning to spend 6,5k then I think it’s worth spending 15mins in a store, but that is up to you :smiley:

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How can I install rhino wip into a mac of the Apple Store? It seems impossible to do…

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Just download the newest WIP here open the .dmg-file and double click the Rhino application, no need to move it to the applications folder.

15

Do you think I can do this in the Apple store? Are you sure that could I download and install the dmg on their computer to test it? I’m sorry if I repeat myself. The Apple store nearest me is at 1 hour and a half by car…

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I did this already 2-3x with the M1 and M2. I actually tested two Macs at the same time haha (M2 Ultra vs. Pro), beacuse I had a script that ran 1-2mins
Some Apple store guys came by because they were curious, I told them what I was doing and they offered me a chair. If you are friendly it should work fine, let me know how it went

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thanks rudi, but i think this post solved my doubts… :slight_smile:

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Will it support Duo GPU? (AMD Radeon Pro Vega II Duo)

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Sure, it will as long as it supports metal… download rhino 8 evaluation and test it yourself.

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I am using Rhino WIP on an M1Ultra. What do you want to know?
Until this newest crop (2023) new Apple silicon, Apple’s GPUs weren’t offering hardware acceleration for raytracing so if that’s your object you need next year’s machine.