cannot reproduce Cursor sluggish after update to 1.8.9-2 on MacOS

W

wjdrijfhout

Member
I know this issue has been reported before.
Solutions for Windows are published and suggestions that MacOS would not have a problem (anymore).
However, the problem is here still very present on Intel MacOS.

After upgrading to 1.8.9-2 it started, when re-installing 1.8.9-1 it's gone, going back to 1.8.9-2 it started again.
See screenshots of the versions I'm using.

Noticed that 1.8.9-1 mentions OpenGL is active, in 1.8.9-2 it doesn't say this, instead it mentions GPU acceleration enabled. Still when checking with 'echo $QSG_RHI_BACKEND', it returns 'OpenGL'.

The problem occurs on my Mac Pro 2019 (16-core, 160GB RAM, AMD Radeon Pro W5700X 16 GB).
No problems on my MacBook Pro M2 Max

It makes it pretty impossible to work. You never know where you are on the image, or when you're at the edge of it. So applying masks, cloning, minimising, grabbing preview, etc, etc. is all hit and miss. I have abandoned 1.8.9-2 for now and re-installed 1.8.9-1

What can be done about this?

Best regards, Willem Jan.

Screenshot 20240218.png
Screenshot 20240218 2.png
 
i've found that the problem still exists despite juan's fix. i do notice that if i start another instance of PI, it behaves properly as though that environment variable is set. also if i set the environment variable from the OSX shell and launch PI from there, the cursor speed is normal.
 
So it looks like you've found a work-around? What do you mean with the last part? Would you mind explaining how that's done?
Many thanks, Willem Jan.
 
Thanks for your help, pfile. Unfortunately I'm probably not computer-savvy enough to fully understand this. But it looks like there's progress. After trying different approaches, the following seemed to give the biggest success:

  • Open Terminal
  • Run command "QSG_RHI_BACKEND=opengl /Applications/Pixinsight/PixInsight.app/Contents/MacOS/PixInsight"
  • This throws the following error: "qt.core.qobject.connect: QObject::connect(QCoreApplication, Unknown): invalid nullptr parameter
    2024-02-19 11:22:20.564 PixInsight[6703:399472] WARNING: Secure coding is automatically enabled for restorable state! However, not on all supported macOS versions of this application. Opt-in to secure coding explicitly by implementing NSApplicationDelegate.applicationSupportsSecureRestorableState:."
  • It also adds a dot under the PixInsight icon, indicating the program is running (but not screen is open)
  • Click on the PixInsight icon. This opens the PixInsight program as normal
  • In the Terminal there is now a whole slurry of error messages.
  • But in PI, the mouse cursor behaviour is much better. By far not perfect, but worth a try to see if this workable.
Are these the steps you're suggesting, or am I still missing anything?

Hopefully the above also gives clues to the developers to find what is the underlying problem here. It is definitely something that has changed between 1.8.9-1 and 1.8.9-2.
 
wjdrijfhout said:
Thanks for your help, pfile. Unfortunately I'm probably not computer-savvy enough to fully understand this. But it looks like there's progress. After trying different approaches, the following seemed to give the biggest success:

  • Open Terminal
  • Run command "QSG_RHI_BACKEND=opengl /Applications/Pixinsight/PixInsight.app/Contents/MacOS/PixInsight"
  • This throws the following error: "qt.core.qobject.connect: QObject::connect(QCoreApplication, Unknown): invalid nullptr parameter
    2024-02-19 11:22:20.564 PixInsight[6703:399472] WARNING: Secure coding is automatically enabled for restorable state! However, not on all supported macOS versions of this application. Opt-in to secure coding explicitly by implementing NSApplicationDelegate.applicationSupportsSecureRestorableState:."
  • It also adds a dot under the PixInsight icon, indicating the program is running (but not screen is open)
  • Click on the PixInsight icon. This opens the PixInsight program as normal
  • In the Terminal there is now a whole slurry of error messages.
  • But in PI, the mouse cursor behaviour is much better. By far not perfect, but worth a try to see if this workable.
Are these the steps you're suggesting, or am I still missing anything?

Hopefully the above also gives clues to the developers to find what is the underlying problem here. It is definitely something that has changed between 1.8.9-1 and 1.8.9-2.
Click to expand...

that is... strange. i'm of course no longer running intel macs so i don't know if it accounts for the difference, but i've never had a problem launching PI in the exact way you are trying to do. i haven't tried it in a while though - the slow cursor problem is not fatal for me, but just an annoyance.

actually, i just tried now and i see "qt.core.qobject.connect: QObject::connect(QCoreApplication, Unknown): invalid nullptr parameter" but nothing else. i don't have any errors in PI's console either.

you could try starting PI normally and then from Terminal, try just this:

/Applications/Pixinsight/PixInsight.app/Contents/MacOS/PixInsight -n

in other words, don't set that environment variable.

that should open a 2nd instance of PI. you can see if the cursor behavior in the 2nd instance seems better. i noticed on my computer that the 2nd instance behaved properly even though the first did not.

rob
 
Thanks for following up, Rob.
I tried the second instance option, but the second environment is not in any way better than the first.

Best option so far is still to set the variable and start PI from Terminal. Then click the application icon and it will actually come up. Tons of error messages in Terminal, but reasonable cursor movements.

Really hope the developers can find out what this is and resolve in a new version.

WJ.
 
Hi folks, I'm also using the $QSG_RHI_BACKEND env var workaround at startup for a better experience on my iMac Pro 2017. However it's a little tedious to have to setup/create a launch-able app out of a shell script.

On separate threads I've seen @Juan Conejero acknowledged and attempted to fix this however it seems the env var still doesn't take into effect requiring this customised startup.

Will there be a proper fix for this or is the custom startup the only option us Intel Mac owners have? (not talking about upgrading to Apple Si yet)
 
After upgrading to build 1605, situation has definitely improved. Not sure if it is code-change in PI, or the Qt upgrade that came with it (6.5.3 > 6.5.5). But it now works as good as previously with the custom workaround. So still a bit sluggish when hovering over an image, but certainly workable and without any extra shell script.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top