'OpenGL Core Profile' mode (OS X) experience

[Pedro_Bidarra]

First, on 2.0.1557, graphics and rendering seem generally faster with the default OpenGL setting, and I don't see any problem with it. But this post is about the new 'OpenGL Core Profile' mode.

I tried the option 'OpenGL Core Profile', it resulted in the Render enviroment appearing completly blank, only the background colour, sketches and the joint symbols, but no bodies or components (didn't affect the Model environment).

In the Render environment, enabling Raytracing works and I see the model again. Curiously enough, if 'Limit all effects to provide optimum performance' is OFF I can also see the model WHILE orbiting.

But, if 'Limit all effects to provide optimum performance' is ON, I can't see the model even while orbiting.

This might be related or not to my specific GPU (NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT).

[chengyun.yang]

Hi,

I suspect that this issue might not be specific to OpenGL core profile. NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT is a pretty old graphics card and its video memory is rather limited. Would you please try to disable some expensive visual effects(ambient occlusion, object shadow and ground reflection) to see if it is helpful?

Chengyun
Fusion Development Team

[cekuhnen]

what is that open gl core profiler?
a new function in fusion?

[chengyun.yang]

OpenGL core profile is the new OpenGL driver implementation on Mac machine. In July release, we allow Fusion to run on both OpenGL legacy profile and core profile driver. By default Fusion is still running on legacy profile but there is a UI option in Fusion preference dialog->Graphics card driver to allow you to switch to core profile driver. OpenGL core profile is able to provide better performance but we found in some old graphics cards or Intel graphics cards, it is not supported well. That is why we didn't make it the default driver for Mac in July release.

[cekuhnen]

wait now I am confused openGL legacy and core?

Are you talking about generic openGL vs core graphics layer?

[Pedro_Bidarra]

Yes I'm aware that it's 'old', I'm also aware that it works well enough for me even if I'm using Fusion 360 on a Windows Virtual Machine on the same Mac. 😉

"Would you please try to disable some expensive visual effects(ambient occlusion, object shadow and ground reflection) to see if it is helpful?"

Isn't that handled by the 'Limit all effects to provide optimum performance'?

This doesn't seem to be a memory issue, I would venture saying it might be related to unsupported OpenGL instructions. That OpenGL Core Profile uses instructions not supported by the version of OpenGL the card supports, maybe you are using OpenGL4.0 instructions?

[chengyun.yang]

Check this wiki page.

https://www.opengl.org/wiki/Core_And_Compatibility_in_Contexts

[Pedro_Bidarra]

Preferences > General > Graphic Driver

It's a new option in that menu that was introduced in 2.0.1557

Edit: Sorry, too slow, I didn't see Yang had already answered this.

[Pedro_Bidarra]

I guess this pretty much explains it:

"Platform Issue (MacOSX): When MacOSX 10.7 introduced support for OpenGL beyond 2.1, they also introduced the core/compatibility dichotomy. However, they did not introduce support for the compatibility profile itself. Instead, MacOSX gives you a choice: core profile for versions 3.2 or higher, or just version 2.1. There is no way to get access to features after 2.1 and still access the Fixed Function Pipeline."

[Pedro_Bidarra]

Well, it actually seems that my card supports OpenGL 3.3 and Core capabilities according to this: https://developer.apple.com/opengl/capabilities/index.html

And I checked with the OpenGL Driver Monitor and is indeed 3.3.

You must be using OpenGL 4.1 instructions in Core Profile which is only supported by the much more recent video cards.

I dont' know much about OpenGL, but by looking at that table, sticking to 3.3 instructions would have been safer as it's supported in all cards that OS X 10.9 supports.

[cekuhnen]

not sure how to understand this but the core profile is worse then the old version on a macpro 2008 with 2 gtx 970 and os x 10.10.4

the view port rotation freezes every 90 degrees or so

zoom in and out navigations lags more

[O.Tan]

Interesting, I've just tried it with my nMP with Dual AMD D300, it seems enabling it has improved the viewport framerate, can't comment on stability as I haven't tried it long enough yet but at least rotating, translating, zooming in and out is giving me quite a good framerate.

I'm using a 27" monitor with 2560x1440 resolution, I'm getting around 15-16 fps for overall assembly and when zoomed in (usable working distance for model) it spikes up to 22-25fps. I'm surprise that I did not gain any fps difference when I made Fusion 360 to be half sized.

I tested this with my Fusion 360 Performance Test Project which contains a few classified as large assemblies (thanks to the model provided by GrabCAD users). If anyone would like to have it a go and see how Fusion performs in your machine as well, just pm me your email and I'll add you to the project.

My next test with this is to add joints to the assembly and see how Fusion performs with it as previously it's almost impossible to add joints or measure due to the lag.

To have that fps information:

In the Fusion360 View menu, select "Show Text Commands".  In the text command panel click on the "Txt" button to enable text commands. Enter the command "Diagnostics.InteractivityMeter /Show". Thanks @scott_morrison!

[Pedro_Bidarra]

I've installed GLview ( http://www.realtech-vr.com/glview/ ) which displays quite comprehensive information about OpenGL support on my system.

Specifically relevant is the support of Core Profile up to OpenGL version 3.3

Version: 3.3 NVIDIA-10.0.31 310.90.10.05b12
Shading language version: 3.30

Extensions: 33

GL_APPLE_client_storage
GL_APPLE_container_object_shareable
GL_APPLE_flush_render
GL_APPLE_object_purgeable
GL_APPLE_rgb_422
GL_APPLE_row_bytes
GL_APPLE_texture_range
GL_ARB_blend_func_extended
GL_ARB_ES2_compatibility
GL_ARB_explicit_attrib_location
GL_ARB_instanced_arrays
GL_ARB_internalformat_query
GL_ARB_occlusion_query2
GL_ARB_sampler_objects
GL_ARB_separate_shader_objects
GL_ARB_shader_bit_encoding
GL_ARB_shading_language_include
GL_ARB_texture_rgb10_a2ui
GL_ARB_texture_storage
GL_ARB_texture_swizzle
GL_ARB_timer_query
GL_ARB_vertex_type_2_10_10_10_rev
GL_ARB_viewport_array
GL_ATI_texture_mirror_once
GL_EXT_debug_label
GL_EXT_debug_marker
GL_EXT_depth_bounds_test
GL_EXT_framebuffer_multisample_blit_scaled
GL_EXT_texture_compression_s3tc
GL_EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic
GL_EXT_texture_mirror_clamp
GL_EXT_texture_sRGB_decode
GL_NV_texture_barrier

Core features

v3.0 (100 % - 23/23)
v3.1 (100 % - 8/8)
v3.2 (100 % - 10/10)
v3.3 (100 % - 10/10)
v4.0 (0 % - 0/14)
v4.1 (42 % - 3/7)
v4.2 (15 % - 2/13)
v4.3 (0 % - 0/23)
v4.4 (0 % - 0/10)
v4.5 (0 % - 0/11)

It seems clear that the Open GL Core Profile mode on F360 must use some instructions/feature only present in 4.0 and above. Which is unfortunate, an intermediate mode for OpenGL 3.x would be compatibible for all OS X users I think.