ZBrushCentral

Mac users with Bootcamp & Parallels issues using ZB3???

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Any issues you have with either Bootcamp, Parallels & ZB3 stick them here…

I’m having fun with Parallels today, it has worked all day with no issues but when I changed my UI to something I was used to, things went wonky, ZB3 started up fine every time but then closed without warning…

I have cloned the VM but each time I tweak the config it goes again, I can’t have these big arse buttons in my face, I need to tweak things, any ideas, I have now gone through 3 VM’s…

I’m going to try Bootcamp next week anyone got any horror stories before I do???

#2

hehehe, are you posting here as well?? Haha, did you mess with the startup screen in preferences??? :wink: :wink:

#3

If it wasn’t meant to be tinkered with it shouldn’t be there… :smiley:

Deleting the config file does work so that’s sorted, but I’ll leave this thread here for the almighty cock up that will be me trying to set up ZB3 via Bootcamp… :o

#4

You are all the same. :lol: If you ever get in a production environment you had better hope it’s not for me. :wink:

Glad it’s working for you now.

#5

I just downloaded my ZBrush 3 upgrade and now I need to get myself a new MacBook Pro and Boot Camp. But before I do I want to be sure about the following.

If I install and activate the new ZBrush 3 on a new laptop will it somehow deactivate the ZBrush 2 on my older mac? If so then I will probably just wait as I really need a stable version on my powermac. I plan use V3 on the MacBook Pro until they release v3 for the Mac.

Any info most appreciated.

#6

Running fine here with stock UIs. Pushing a million+ polys without much difficulty under parallels. Pretty much stuck to a single display at first, but with Parallels coherence mode, ZB can spread out over both monitors.

Only one crash, but I think that was caused by another program messing with the graphics card in a way Parallels didn’t like.

-K

#7

@ Mr Natural if you have ZB2 already installed on one machine I see no reason why installing ZB3 on another machine would deactivate ZB2…

I have ZB2 & 3 installed on the same machine & both still work fine…

@ Jason, I couldn’t work for you dude you’re to much of a taskmaster & have a sniper rifle… :wink:

@ Kerwin are you having any issues with Parallels if you allocate over a 1Gb of Ram, if I up the setting to the max 1.5Gb, then parallels plays up…

Any Bootcampers have any tips before I dive in next week, apart from RTFM???

#8

I give up, Bootcamp requires a USB keyboard & mouse… :evil:

I have a Bluetooth mouse & keyboard… :evil:

So unless I now want to buy a keyboard & mouse As well as Vista, it’s Parallels for me with a Gb of ram… Oh joy… :frowning:

#9

Hey Buckie, I haven’t tried it without the ‘connected’ keyboard. Will do that sometime today, although as far as I know MS isn’t much on supporting Bluetooth, I am sure drivers exist. But a solution usually exists… :wink:

As for polys under Parallels I’ve been up to 48 million(good chunk is HD and of course each subtool can have this much…) now without much issue assigning 1GB RAM of the 2GB available. :wink:

#10

I’m not getting anywhere near 48 milliion on XP or Vista under Parallels…

I tried the HD mode & when I tired to re-open the file it said HighDef data corrupt or something similar, (thread below)…

http://zbrushcentral.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=45028&highlight=grey

Parallels only seems to want to give me a Gb to work with, if I up it it just won’t play ball…

As for Bootcamp, Apple recommend a USB keyboard & mouse, if it was Microsoft saying I wouldn’t listen, but Apple actually know what they are talking about…

:smiley:

#11

Been using Parallels and Bootcmap fine with my bluetooth keyboard. My current mouse is a Logitech MX, so it probably thinks that’s a USB one since it has its own dongle. Maybe you only need a wired keyboard to get Bootcamp setup and then you can go back to bluetooth keyboards (it worked for me–windows detected my Apple bluetooth keyboard and befriended it right away.)

HTH,
-K

#12

Hmmm, I know windows won’t initially boot without a keyboard so maybe it is just a set up thing. I used to use a MX mouse with my PC, still have it in the loft, shall dig it out… :smiley:

Cheers for the info K, I think bootcamp is the way to go though just for the power if nothing else…

Can you access bootcamp with Parallels in any way???

#13

I was initially going to install Windows Parallels but after reading a review of Parallels I was concerned that it would be too slow because the review said that Parallels did not take support the video card’s 3d hardware .

I have been running zBrush 3 under Bootcamp for a few days and it has worked really. I am working on a model with 1.5 million polygons and it is pretty snappy. I would rather be in my Mac OS so I can access Photoshop without rebooting. Has anyone tried both Bootcamp and Parallels? If so, how were the performance differences with ZB3?

#14

Kev I have been running Parallels on my system with XP Pro & Vista VM’s, it works well but you will be held back at some point. I’m now running in Bootcamp with Vista & it is much improved & a lot more stable. If you want toget the most from ZB3 & you have an Intel Mac run it in Bootcamp…

The biggest set back is the rebooting to be honest & if you’re a person who likes to flick between apps like me ie Modo, ZB, Photoshop etc you’ll find it awkward too…

I still haven’t found a way to transfer files as yet, I’m attaching docs & emailing myself, then picking them up on OSX…

Its nice to have ZB3 but I’ve jumped through hoops this week setting it up & testing it. When you also consider the zero workflow with having to reboot to access your other apps, it’s a pain to say the least…

#15

I am able to transfer files to and from the Window partition without any problems when I am booted from the Mac OS. I remember having to select a particular format option when I was partitioning the drive with the Bootcamp setup assitant to enable this feature.

#16

Yeah if you pic Fat32 to format with you can drag the files over from OSX but I installed Vista which doesn’t give the choice unfortunately…

#17

PhotoKev,

You should still be able to do this. However OSX since 10.3 no longer has the correct support. A fella over at Google came up with the solution and I use it for several things.

Try this… http://code.google.com/p/macfuse/

This should allow you following the Parallels instructions to access Bootcamp, to see your data. I don’t have the same setup as you, but this should do it.

I’m busy until md next week, but if you really can’t get it I’ll see what I can work up then. Post your progress back here.

Also, I have had more than 3 times the polys under ZB3/Parallels/OSX than ZB2/OSX and using HD I have had more than 45 million per (sub)tool. I find ZB3 amazingly efficient. :wink:

#18

You would… :smiley:

#19

A few questions about your performance under Parallels comment:

What is “HD” and how do I use it?

What model Mac are you using?

Processor, RAM, etc.

How much RAM do you have allocated to ZB3?

#20

HD is a means to divide the mess again but with higher detail…

Under Parallels I could only use 1Gb for ZB3, but the max is 1.5Gb, it just wouldn’t let me, it felt OK to use but it never felt right to me…

Under Bootcamp you get 2Gb plus full hardware specs, plus it feels much more intuitive…

My specs are…

Intel Macpro Quad 3.0Ghz, 8Gb of ram, Nvidia Quadro FX 4500…