Article: v5 - n546 - rev 5 - 6 output on new mac pro

v5 - n546 - rev 5 - 5th march 2015

40 layers - added more to test more
reduced memory usage - seems to fix tearing and glitching - which seems to have been caused by low memory conditions -
experimental pseudo genlock for phoenix input 1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kc18q70tpjspqda/n546.dmg?dl=0
password lenon

v5 - n543

[ link removed ]

try to fix full screen windows overlap
more reporting in pdf profile

v5 - n541

[download link removed]

there is a 'new mac pro screen wrangle' menu - in the debugHUD in stats HUD-
medium setting seems to stop new mac pro movie playback frame glitching -this in most scenarios…. when the HUD is on mac desktop screen 1 -

this version has been tested with 1 to 6 outputs- identical 1080p50 screens- MDP2DVIMM6BS

and it also does 11520x1080 movie playback - 6x1080p movies-
i increased the maximum movie size to 14m pixels to do this
so 6000x2000 or 4000x3000 sizes also work
width should be a multiple of 16 - in order to get best performance-

reduced maximum layers and mixes to 32 - 10.9.5+ - seems to not like too many movies - still testing

Compatibility-
Intel macs 10.6.8 - 10.9.x ( 3rd party video input drivers not working in 10.10 - feb 2015 )

Thanks Richard, look forward to trying it out.

Tim

...and it's crashing on launch :)

Details:
- I *can* open n525
- n541 crashes at the "Loading: ColourFX" stage, just after the popup to allow network connections (a setting that's never remembered by the way, on any version I've used recently I get asked this at every launch - but that's a tangent!)
- System is a maxed out Late 2013 Mac Pro running 10.10.2 (it also crashed under 10.10.1 - I upgraded to 10.10.2 then tried again)
- Console log attached

Attachment 818

Thanks for any advice...

Tim

"allowing network connections" - and any tangent settings - nothing to do with me- you have some third party network filter installed? littlesnitch? apple firewall?


your computer is not returning any EDID information - so what screens you have attached? what graphics card?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blamelewis

just after the popup to allow network connections (a setting that's never remembered by the way, on any version I've used recently I get asked this at every launch - but that's a tangent!)

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run etrecheck from
http://etresoft.com/etrecheck
to see if you have any extensions installed to block networking

report looks like this...

Quote:

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EtreCheck version: 2.1.8 (121)
Report generated 13 February 2015 21:06:48 GMT
Download EtreCheck from http://etresoft.com/etrecheck

Click the [Click for support] links for help with non-Apple products.
Click the [Click for details] links for more information about that line.

Hardware Information: ℹ️
MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2012) (Technical Specifications)
MacBook Air - model: MacBookAir5,1
1 2 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU: 2-core
8 GB RAM
BANK 0/DIMM0
4 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
BANK 1/DIMM0
4 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
Bluetooth: Good - Handoff/Airdrop2 supported
Wireless: en0: 802.11 a/b/g/n
Battery Health: Normal - Cycle count 614
…

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Dear Richard, congratulations for all the job and improvements you are making. Last week I used Beta 2 with Exact Mapper for a show and found very useful improvements. Will try Beta 4 asap.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blamelewis

...and it's crashing on launch :)

Details:
- I *can* open n525
- n541 crashes at the "Loading: ColourFX" stage, just after the popup to allow network connections (a setting that's never remembered by the way, on any version I've used recently I get asked this at every launch - but that's a tangent!)
- System is a maxed out Late 2013 Mac Pro running 10.10.2 (it also crashed under 10.10.1 - I upgraded to 10.10.2 then tried again)
- Console log attached

Attachment 818

Thanks for any advice...

Tim

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you have firewall turned on?

I do, and would expect the OS to remember I've given Catalyst permission for network connections... It doesn't seem to remember though as the same dialogue appears each time... However I've turned the OS firewall off for now while the machine's on a show.

I've been able to launch n541 (and I'm about to try n543 too) but have found a weird yellow flickering on movie playback (though not always) - is that the display glutting you're talking about in the original post? I've yet to look at the debugHUD to see if that solves it... The files are PrRes 422, in case that's relevant.

Cheers!

Tim

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blamelewis

I do, and would expect the OS to remember I've given Catalyst permission for network connections... It doesn't seem to remember though as the same dialogue appears each time... However I've turned the OS firewall off for now while the machine's on a show.

I've been able to launch n541 (and I'm about to try n543 too) but have found a weird yellow flickering on movie playback (though not always) - is that the display glutting you're talking about in the original post? I've yet to look at the debugHUD to see if that solves it... The files are PrRes 422, in case that's relevant.

Cheers!

Tim

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you using 10.10?

debug HUD isnt yellow flashing-
thats some kindof memory leak in quicktime - unresolved

Yeah, 10.10.2

I've been trying all the flavours of v5 that I've had today but all are proving unstable with the setup for this show - so I've reverted to the v4 version 466 and all seems to be working fine with that...

The system was:
- two PTDX100 projectors fed out of Thunderbolt ports via apple MiniDP to VGA adaptors
- programming monitor out of another Thunderbolt port and sent to an Adderlink X200 KVM
- Decklink Intensity Extreme capturing HDMI into a further Thunderbolt port

and after initially all setting up fine I started experiencing crashes - and those yellow playback flashes (the crashes weren't simultaneous with the yellow flashes, they seemed to be separate issues - the app began to crash seemingly at random, usually not long after launch.

- so I tried various things: swapping in different v5 builds into the same folder and launching (to preserve the presets I'd programmed etc.) and then in case that was contributing to the trouble I built a completely new show from scratch - but this too began crashing.

so eventually I dug out a dual head and switched to m466 and all seems well... feels like the old fashioned way :)

Sorry I haven't more detail for the crashes - heading into tech so it's just about making it work now :) But I could post another console / crash log if it's useful?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blamelewis

Yeah, 10.10.2

The system was:
- two PTDX100 projectors fed out of Thunderbolt ports via apple MiniDP to VGA adaptors
- programming monitor out of another Thunderbolt port and sent to an Adderlink X200 KVM
- Decklink Intensity Extreme capturing HDMI into a further Thunderbolt port

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thanks-
please email me pdf profile from catalyst- running this version
it contains the crash logs-

please try n546 - it reduces memory use which seems to help flashing and glitching in low memory conditions

Hi Richard,

can you explain how work "pseudo genlock" for phoenix input1

thanks

yves

Quote:

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Originally Posted by luluyves

Hi Richard,

can you explain how work "pseudo genlock" for phoenix input1

thanks

yves

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it steps to next playback frame at time of sdi frame

What are you using for hard drives in this setup? What video resolution and codec are you testing at?

So i blew up my first Mac Pro. Literally killed it with 4 screens looping 4K video for 24 hrs. On to #2. One think that i am seeing now that i am using the star tech active adaptors is that the screens do not ID correctly in the Catalyst software. For example Screen 1 is mapped to screen 1, 2 to 2, 3 to 3, and 4 to 4. If i switch 2 & 3 in the catalyst software they both now want to work on screen 2 and i can't assign anything to screen 3. I have tried a new set of preferences with no luck. I would think with the way you have set this up you wanted to allow us to fix a bad screen assignment by an easy software swap.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tylerr

So i blew up my first Mac Pro. Literally killed it with 4 screens looping 4K video for 24 hrs. On to #2. One think that i am seeing now that i am using the star tech active adaptors is that the screens do not ID correctly in the Catalyst software. For example Screen 1 is mapped to screen 1, 2 to 2, 3 to 3, and 4 to 4. If i switch 2 & 3 in the catalyst software they both now want to work on screen 2 and i can't assign anything to screen 3. I have tried a new set of preferences with no luck. I would think with the way you have set this up you wanted to allow us to fix a bad screen assignment by an easy software swap.

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dont change screens assignment in catalyst - it doesn't work

all screen setup and assignment needs to be done without catalyst running-
as OS makes all sorts of hidden changes

all screen setup and assignment is done by OS - in whatever order it chooses - not me - i can't control any of this

Quote:

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Originally Posted by samsc

allow us to fix a bad screen assignment by an easy software swap

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you just can't do this! OS controls everything

Quote:

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Originally Posted by samsc

you just can't do this! OS controls everything

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Then what are these values for? Use Display Index 1 - 4

Attachment 827

And actually now that i had dumped my prefs and started fresh i can put screen 1 into full screen twice, screen 2 once, screen 3 once, and i can't go to full screen at all on screen 4. Unless of course i mess with those settings.... :)

Take a look at this PDF - might be useful to figure out screen configurations on the MacPro 6,1 and how the MDP ports relate to the display order in Catalyst V5 PRO

The MDP ports relate to the 'display-index' in catalyst
So if you follow the order in the PDF attached - it 'should' match Catalyst screen order

Apple logo appears on Screen 1 (MDP4) during boot
Display Index 1 is always the primary screen
Assign the Primary Screen to the monitor connected to MDP4.
IMPORTANT: - Then you have to move the screens in system preferences to match catalyst!…


It is easier to attach the screens 1-by-1
If you arrange the screens in a line (1-6) in system preferences, it is difficult to figure out which one is screen 3,4,5 in catalyst. But if you move screen 4 down slightly in system preferences arrangement - it makes it easier to identify the screens in the catalyst

Attachment 835

The order will remain the same unless the EDID or screen is changed/removed
NOTE - if you change or disconnect a screen, or change the EDID, you will have to re-adjust the arrangement in system preferences.

Users must assign the correct 'Display-index' to the correct Output in Catalyst output preferences:
Display-index 1 - to – Output 1
Display-index 2 - to – Output 2 (defaults to 1 for new show)
Display-index 3 - to – Output 3 (fixed)
Display-index 4 - to – Output 4 (fixed)
Display-index 5 - to – Output 5 (fixed)
Display-index 6 - to – Output 6 (fixed)

Attachment 833

This seems to work for us.
Please test some of these configurations to see if they work on other MacPro 6,1
Let me know

Regards

Attachment 836
Simon

Thanks Simon, that is most helpful.
I have been trying to work with model mixes for visualization and I fee like it isn't working like it should. Perhaps someone here has some more experience. I can only seem to assign a layer to a model mix. And then when I assign that layer it only plays the movie file. I can't control any other aspects of it. If I assign another mix it only seems to make it white.
I tried with built in models and custom models and I get the same result.
Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

Models work fine...
You have to put the mix in to flat-locked-to-corner mode or keystone. Not flat-constant

You should ensure that the mix resolution and render setting match your content.
Mix doesn't have to be visible onscreen if the offscreen render setting is enabled.

What aspects of the layer are you trying to control?

S

Ah, should have thought to try that. Works fine now.
When I assigned a layer only, I couldn't scale, change color, etc..
Once I assigned a mix that was flat corners it works fine.

Thanks Simon.

Hey Simon,

thanks for that PDF

Why wouldnt you recommend the Apple DL Adapters.
I have 4 machines (6.2 each with 4 x DL Adapter attached) out at the moment and they work like it should
I always have all 4 screens attached at the same time, do a PRAM reset and then check and label the output numbers correct, works without any issues.

Best

Marc

new build n561 posted