Vectorworks on MacBook M4 is only usable in clamshell mode...

[matteoluigi]

Hi,

 

I've been having trouble with two MacBooks for a while now. Working with a connected display (a 4K display and an Apple Thunderbolt Display) is proving too demanding for the computers. Even with medium-sized building models, the computer struggles, even when Vectorworks is just scaled down.

As soon as I close the MacBook lid, everything runs super smoothly.

I checked the Activity Monitor. It doesn't seem to make any difference to the system's load whether the display is closed or not, neither in terms of CPU usage nor RAM... It's just that it stutters terribly when the display is open...

What ideas do you have?

 

(I'm also posting this in the German Vectorworks forum)

I'm currently testing with two M4 MacBooks:

- MacBook Pro 16" M4 with M4 Pro CPU and 36GB RAM

- MacBook Air 15" M4 with M4 CPU and 32GB RAM

both running macOS Sequoia... 15.7.3

 

Thanks, Matteo

[zoomer]

[matteoluigi]

@zoomer glaub, das wars, merci! 

@Karsten Wirth ist euch das auch bekannt?

[matteoluigi]

that one in english for all international customers ;-D

display_allow.webp

[mjm]

10 hours ago, matteoluigi said:

Hi,

 

I've been having trouble with two MacBooks for a while now. Working with a connected display (a 4K display and an Apple Thunderbolt Display) is proving too demanding for the computers. Even with medium-sized building models, the computer struggles, even when Vectorworks is just scaled down.

As soon as I close the MacBook lid, everything runs super smoothly.

I checked the Activity Monitor. It doesn't seem to make any difference to the system's load whether the display is closed or not, neither in terms of CPU usage nor RAM... It's just that it stutters terribly when the display is open...

What ideas do you have?

 

(I'm also posting this in the German Vectorworks forum)

I'm currently testing with two M4 MacBooks:

- MacBook Pro 16" M4 with M4 Pro CPU and 36GB RAM

- MacBook Air 15" M4 with M4 CPU and 32GB RAM

both running macOS Sequoia... 15.7.3

 

Thanks, Matteo

my MBP M1 Max, 32gB unified ram | Tahoe latest |VWX 2026 often displays great lags between click and the apparent actual acquisition of the object

Edited February 4 by mjm
claritee

[E|FA]

I’m not seeing a problem with my M2 Macbook Air, although I don’t work on huge files.  I am usually in clamshell mode and I never use the laptop screen for VW when it is open, so maybe it would be more noticeable if I had a different use case.  

[zoomer]

On 2/4/2026 at 10:53 PM, mjm said:

my MBP M1 Max, 32gB unified ram | Tahoe latest |VWX 2026 often displays great lags between click and the apparent actual acquisition of the object

 

I do not see that too here on the M4 or the PC.

(Don't want to try on the M1 Mini - because of number of VW activations)